


Bound: Prologue

by deprough, MalachiteDrake



Series: Bound [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: ABO Variant, F/F, F/M, Gammaverse, Loki Apologetics, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-04-16 08:32:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 33
Words: 74,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4618623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deprough/pseuds/deprough, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalachiteDrake/pseuds/MalachiteDrake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>After a long pause in writing, Deprough and I are back to continue work on Bound! We've gone over the original plan we had for this fiction and made some adjustments, including deciding to break the story into three sections and four parts. This is now the prologue and we took out a few chapters, but don't worry! We'll have those chapters back in the second section of the story, which will be split into two concurrent stories. One will follow the Rogers' pack as they delve into Vala's past and the other will track Loki's forming pack as they deal with Ylva's former captor. (Yes, you can just follow the pack you're interested in!) The final section will see everyone back together for the culmination of the story!</p><p>We are moving in about a month and have the holidays, so it will likely be the new year (2018) before we start posting. Thanks for your patience!</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. The Big Day

**Author's Note:**

> After a long pause in writing, Deprough and I are back to continue work on Bound! We've gone over the original plan we had for this fiction and made some adjustments, including deciding to break the story into three sections and four parts. This is now the prologue and we took out a few chapters, but don't worry! We'll have those chapters back in the second section of the story, which will be split into two concurrent stories. One will follow the Rogers' pack as they delve into Vala's past and the other will track Loki's forming pack as they deal with Ylva's former captor. (Yes, you can just follow the pack you're interested in!) The final section will see everyone back together for the culmination of the story!
> 
> We are moving in about a month and have the holidays, so it will likely be the new year (2018) before we start posting. Thanks for your patience!

“Hello, sweeties!” Hal Berrie blew his trademark kiss to the camera with a wink, the silver glitter showing up like stars against his tawny skin. “Welcome to another episode of _People Today_ , your number one source of information about your favorite glittery idols!”

“And today,” Crys Swede picked up his lines smoothly as he artfully flipped his long blonde bangs to one side of his face, “we have the most _amazing_ news about one of your favorite people!”

“Amazing? Heartbreaking, you mean,” Hal rejoined, clasping both of his knees tightly and making a moue of grief. His pink lip gloss caught the overhead lights as he wailed, “Just _heartbreaking!_ ”

“I’m sorry, sweet viewers, Hal’s dealing with the loss of his dream.” Crys smirked and waved glitter-tipped fingers around as he announced, “Today, one of the world’s most eligible bachelors will show the world he’s found his omega. Yes, yes. Tony Stark is getting _married_ and bonding his pack.”

The massive screen behind the men flashed up a stock image of Iron Man. Rock music blared as the camera pulled back to show more of the orange and pink studio for a moment, showing the excited reactions of the studio audience. Their cheers continued as the focus returned to the two men in the chairs, one of them mock-weeping into his hands.

As if that wasn’t enough theatrics, Hal squeezed his eyes shut and flailed his hands around wildly. “Don’t say it! Every time you say it, a gamma’s arousal _dies_!”

The audience laughed and made raucous sympathetic noises for a moment; the two canny hosts gave them a moment before propelling the show onward. “As any Tony-phile knows,” Crys continued as if his co-host wasn’t carrying on next to him, “the famous ultra-billionaire hasn’t yet selected an omega despite forming the rest his pack six years ago. Rumors about him finding one have been absolutely rampant since he added his second gamma, Col. James Rhodes.” Behind the two men, an image of the handsome Air Force Officer appeared, as if the crowd needed a reminder of whom he was. An older man’s picture appeared, heavy and dressed in a suit. “His first is, of course, Happy Hogan—”

“You’d be Happy too if you were Tony Stark’s gamma!” Hal butted in quickly and Crys patiently ignored him and the peals of laughter from the observers.

“—who has been with Tony officially since 1999. And of course, his beta Pepper Potts, who finally admitted her inclusion into Tony’s pack just after Col. Rhodes confirmed in late 2008.” The screen obligingly put up a picture of the redheaded CEO; Crys drew a breath but was cut off before he could speak again.

“Tony Stark, if you’re watching this, you have to stop this travesty.” Hal leaned forward, his eyes entreating as he begged, “You’re _god-damned_ Tony Stark, and you _owe_ it to all the omegas and gammas to make the biggest pack _in the world_. You, Tony, it’s all on you.”

“Who is the lucky omega?” Crys was back to ignoring his cohost. “None other than the incredible Dr. Bruce Banner, better known for his green alter ego, the Hulk.” A picture of Banner and the Hulk were displayed side by side.

A mixture of boos and cheers rang out. Hal took over, shouting, “I know, right? Tony Stark, where are my Stark-babies! You owe us litters and litters of cute little rich babies! We need the omega harem and deserve the Stark army!”

“Mrs. CEO Potts could have a baby,” Crys reasonably pointed out but as always Hal refused to react rationally.

“One, if that!” Hal folded his hands in supplication. “Tony, please, we _need_ the hope that your singleness gave us! We gammas need the hope that we’ll end up as part of your pack. If anyone in the world could build that gamma army, it’s you!”

“Gammas and omegas of the world, sharpen your pencils, because soon the only place you’ll be able to see Tony Stark surrounded by hordes of pregnant omegas and protective gammas is in your fanfiction.” Crys laughed at the hoots that floated up to him, making a less-than-smooth segue into, “We need to break for commercials but when we return, we’ll discuss rumors about a new Tom Cruise movie—and that his beta Nicole Kidman is somehow involved! More when we return.”

Bucky snorted into his coffee, shaking his head. _I wonder what Tony makes of the gossip mongers_ , he thought, reaching to turn off the TV. Arms slipped around him from behind and arrested his movement, and only the scent of his alpha prevented the formerly brainwashed man from lashing out in instinctive fear.

“Why do you watch that stuff?” Steve whispered in his ear.

“To see if they’re talking about us.” Bucky turned his head to see his taller alpha in his peripheral. A second later, he realized he’d left the oatmeal in the pan. He started to pull away but his pack leader didn’t let go. “I told Sam I’d watch breakfast while he showers—”

“Leave it.” Steve buried his face in Bucky’s neck and the gamma relaxed against the other man, the oatmeal forgotten in the moment of comforting his alpha.

“Dreams?” he asked softly, frowning when Steve nodded. “Bad or really bad?”

“You fell.” His alpha’s arms tightened fractionally, his possessiveness railing against the mere thought of losing a member of his incomplete pack. “Again.”

The gamma exhaled softly and curled his arm up to press his hand to Steve’s forearm. “I did. I won’t again.”

Steve nodded and inhaled sharply, drawing in Bucky’s scent. The gamma waited patiently, and soon his pack head was in control of himself again. Stepping back, Steve let Bucky go so that the gamma could see if breakfast was burnt.

“Damnit,” Bucky growled as he stirred the contents of the pan, scowling at the mess caking the bottom.

“Sorry,” Steve said, leaning against the counter.

“Did Buck burn breakfast?” Despite his dire words, Clint was smiling as he entered the room. Stopping next to Steve, he brushed his chin on the taller man’s arm before reaching under the paper towel for a slice of crisp bacon. The archer leaned against the far side of the island as he ate, his normally messy hair slicked down neatly. He wore the first stages of the tuxedo that had been rented for him and the other gamma eyed the tight white t-shirt and bare feet appreciatively.

Natasha clearly appreciated Clint’s ass more; not only was she watching it as she came in, she gave her fellow gamma a squeeze where the black pants covered said anatomy. Stepping up to Steve, she rubbed her cheek from one broad shoulder to the other before heading for the bacon. The super soldier stepped after her, his hands roaming over her silken slip. The gamma playfully swatted his hands away from her, her red hair bouncing in stylish curls. “I had enough of that last night.”

“I didn’t think gammas were ever sated,” the alpha said with a smile, ignoring her slaps.

Natasha gave him a look that said he knew better and Steve backed down, accepting that he’d reached her limit for now. Sometimes, she handled the jokes about gamma sex drives very well; sometimes they just reminded her of her childhood. “So where’s Sam?”

“Here.” The final member of their nascent pack joined them, straightening his bowtie as he entered the room. Tugging at his cuffs, he said, “How do I look?”

“Like an overachiever,” Clint said drily as he juggled a pinch of steaming scrambled eggs into his mouth.

“Not my fault only Steve and I get up at dawn.” Despite his words, the Falcon was smiling as he went to Steve, resting his temple on the alpha’s shoulder for a second. In particular, the former airman felt that these gestures of pack-oneness were especially important since they were missing the final member of their family: their omega. Sam had been pushing Steve to hunt her down but their alpha was reluctant to do so. “I’m in no hurry to start having babies,” he’d said more than once. Sam didn’t think that he felt the same uneasiness the others felt at being open and exposed. Bucky in particular would benefit from a bonding of souls, but Steve seemed to be content on waiting for fate to step in and help. “So just bacon and eggs?”

“Yes, that’s my fault,” Steve said quickly. He glanced apologetically at Bucky, who was scraping the ruined oatmeal into the compost bucket. Both of the super-soldiers had proven reluctant to let go of their Victory Garden habits once they had the stability of a pack. “I distracted the cook.”

Bucky said nothing but an unhappy flush colored his cheeks. Normally, this would have invited gentle teasing of Sam - who usually made breakfast as the pack’s beta - but no one risked upsetting Bucky. The gamma took mistakes as personal failures; Sam knew it was a reaction to the unstability of his pack. _Damn it, Steve, we **need** to find an omega!_

Glancing at the clock, the pack’s beta said, “You guys need to eat and get dressed, or we’re going to be late.” His words galvanized them into motion.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Jane was near tears by the time Darcy got out of the bathroom. Her omega friend was trying not to cry as Darcy folded her arms. The brunette beta counted to ten before asking, “Sif?”

“Please don’t.” Jane pressed her fingers to her eyes as if she could physically hold back the tears. “It won’t help.”

“I don’t know,” Darcy commented with too-bright cheer, “if I drop a safe on her head, Thor might remove his head from his rectum and alpha up.”

Despite her pleas for peace, Jane giggled at the image of a crushed Sif. Darcy didn’t laugh, because it was a horrible sign when an omega was amused by the death of her beta. _Well, not her **real** beta,_ Darcy growled to herself, stepping forward and pushing Jane’s hair back. “C’mon. I’ll redo your makeup.”

“Thanks.” Jane smiled broadly and let the beta lead her into the bathroom. The omega perched on the closed toilet, silent as Darcy removed the streaked makeup and dried her face.

Darcy waited until she was deep into applying the eyeliner before asking, “Was it because we didn’t come back home last night?”

The scientist pulled away, her cheeks blushing. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“It’s not your fault that Thor won’t close the pack in marriage,” Darcy said heatedly, her fingers gentle as she took Jane’s chin again. “She should be mad at him, not you. Hold still.”

The omega compiled with a heavy sigh. “I know, I know. She’s mad because I’m human, and she’s mad that I want you in the pack. I understand, she’s been with him for centuries. But he wants me, too, and Fandral and Volstagg want me in the pack, too.”

 _Thanks for not trying to lie about them wanting me._ The human beta had been a little too antagonistic toward Thor’s gammas and none of them really liked her. Hogun was the only one who was even polite to her. Despite her grim thoughts, she smiled in triumph at her friend. “Right, so you have as much right to be there as her. But if she doesn’t start acting like a proper beta to you, I’m going taser her and shave her head.”

“Oh, god, don’t say that!” Jane looked alarmed; Darcy withdrew the liner pencil before she put it into her friend’s eye. “Loki actually did that--”

“I know,” Darcy said smugly, “that’s why its funny.”

“She’ll flip out if you joke about it.” Jane said, her voice a little sad.

Darcy took in her friend’s look; the beaten-down sorrow ignited rage in the beta. No omega should ever be made to look that way by their beta, but Sif had been clear in her dislike. When a beta turned mean, they could pierce their targets to the core. The situation pissed Darcy off and she uttered the words that she’d been thinking for a long time. “I’m not sure I care if she gets mad.”

“Darce-”

“She’s a spoiled brat.” Darcy went back to the makeup, applying it in heavier strokes than she normally used. “She is a speciest bitch and I want to drop kick her off the Bifrost--”

“But--”

“Don’t defend her!” The beta said sharply, trading the liner for a sponge. She fiercely dusted Jane’s eyelids as she growled, “She’s a beta and she shouldn’t be destabilizing the pack--” Darcy was cut off as the omega slapped a hand over her mouth. As the beta scowled at her, Jane pointed over her shoulder and gave her a ‘shut up already’ look. Darcy’s eyes widened as she caught the other woman’s meaning and Jane lowered her hand. “She’s behind me, isn’t she?” Darcy whispered.

“The bitch is,” Sif said coldly. When Darcy glanced over her shoulder, the tall Asgardian glared at her. “Thor bides me tell you that the rest of the pack is ready for the ceremony. He wishes us all to enter together, so do not tarry.” With a toss of her black hair, the non-human beta swept out of the bathroom.

“Well, that’s not going to help things,” Jane murmured.

“Hmm, lemme check.” Darcy tilted her head to the side, looking up at the ceiling a moment. “Nope, still don’t give a single shit about her feelings. C’mon, we’d better not keep Thor waiting.”


	2. Uninvited Guests

Tony’s dressing room was filled with professional stylists and tailors. The latter was still stitching his inseam after an accident on the elevator while the others waited their turn to get at him. 

He was also drinking. Pepper would have had a fit had she seen the amount he’d put away so far but knew his limits. In truth, his beta didn’t really know how much he drank; he was fond of sipping on tea and letting her think it was bourbon, or downing a cocktail when she wasn’t paying attention. In truth, he didn’t need a drink nearly as often as she thought he did.

Except today. Tony stared into the amber liquid, his brown eyes watching the ripples across the alcohol. He knew that he shouldn’t drink when he was upset or sad, but today he didn’t care. He was surrounded by people he’d hired, not his birth pack. They were all gone; he had no one to help him prepare for today. Between HYDRA and Obadiah, the other members of his family’s pack was gone.

As always, the thoughts of Stane’s betrayal cut him to the bone. Of course, greed could make a man overlook much, including the bonds of a pack. Had Obadiah killed Tony, he would have inherited the Stark empire. The fact that the omega had loved his father’s money more than his father still hurt Tony - not that he’d admit it.

The tailor stepped back and Tony took the pants from him. He pulled them on and turned in front of the mirror, admiring the cut of the black cloth and the way it framed his ass. “Well done,” he complimented, mustering a smile for the gamma woman. “You have made my ass look even better than normal.”

“You pay me well enough for it,” she said with a smile, packing her bags and getting out of the way of his stylists. The flock of mixed gammas and a beta descended on him, one manicuring each hand while the remaining three fussed at his hair and accessories.

Tony accepted the primping with good grace. First, he was used to having a bevy of people making him look pretty. Second, this was his big day and not even the memory of Stane’s betrayal could take that away.

“Nervous?” Bruce’s voice stopped the stylists, who all looked up at Tony nervously, ready to take their cues from him.

“No.” The alpha eyed the other man, one eyebrow rising. “Aren’t you supposed to be in a pretty little dress? I’m sure I picked something with a low back.”

“Tony, the day you start dressing me is the day the Hulk takes up permanent residence in my place.” Bruce’s smile was sardonic as he stepped into the room, holding up the ends of his bow tie.

“You’ve come undone,” Tony teased, his glance flickering over to this tailor. With a smile, she went to Bruce and started to navigate the tie.

“I didn’t come undone, I never got there.” Bruce straightened his sleeves on his tux, looking uncomfortable. “I can’t figure those things out.”

“You can find a cube the size of a child’s toy on Earth based on the miniscule gamma rays it emitted, but you can’t manage a tie?” Tony asked, shaking his head. “I thought you were a genius.”

“I am but ties are . . . evil. Pure evil.” Bruce’s expression became somber. “Last chance--”

Tony shook his head. “Nope.”

“I know I keep asking, which should be a sign of how crazy this is,” the omega told him.

“Stop.” Tony detangled himself from his appearance assistants and walked to the other man. “I choose you as my omega for a multitude of reasons, including the fact that I can’t knock you up. You’re the perfect omega for my pack, Bruce. So. Shut. Up.” The omega sighed, accepting Tony’s words, at least for now. “Why aren’t you in your room?”

“Because I couldn’t tie the tie and I knew you’d have someone here helping you.” It was a harsh reminder that Bruce’s birth pack had withdrawn from him. Most of them had been unable to handle the dual nature of omega Bruce and the alpha Hulk. _He was certainly the most unusual transgendered person on the planet_ , Tony reflected grimly.

Still, he was Tony, and he couldn’t help teasing. “It’s bad luck for the alpha to see the omega before the wedding,” he said. “Are you willing to have that on your shoulders?”

Bruce smiled with only a hint of grimness. “We make our own luck, Tony. This pack, especially, will never do ‘what we’re supposed to do’ by others’ standards.”

If he’d ever had a doubt about Bruce’s suitability for his family, it faded in that moment. _I love being right_ , Tony smugly told himself as he lifted his glass. “Welcome to the pack, Bruce.”

~  *  ~  *  ~

“Hold still!” Aunt Lydia chided as she swatted Happy on his arm. “Harold, if you’re late to that nice Mr. Stark’s commitment ceremony--”

Happy rolled his eyes as he stabilized his arm so that she could pin the cuffs. “Tony is never ‘nice’, Aunt Ly. He’s generous and sometimes even polite but nice is not him. I note you failed to mention its my ceremony, too.”

She drew up her five-foot-nothing height and snapped, “Then you should respect it and not be late!”

“Lydia,” his mom said softly, taking her smaller sister by the arms and pulling her away, “leave Harry alone--”

“Ma!” Happy snapped, his eyes widening. “Ya promised not to call me that!”

“Lay off Mom,” Sarah laughed, tugging his bow tie straight. “She’s been calling you that for years.”

The twins, Hannah and Holly, looking up from their attempts to pin his other cuff and lint-roll his pants, giggled at him. “Oh, _Harry_ ,” Hannah sung in a falsetto, “dear Harry!”

The gamma closed his eyes and counted to ten, wondering what asshole had decided that every beta in your extended family should be the ones helping you prepare for your wedding. Happy wanted to go back in time and punch that guy in the mouth. “If Tony hears you call me that, I will _never_ live it down.”

“He’s your alpha, isn’t he?” Lydia said crossly from across the room, where she was now helping his mom fold the clothes he’d arrived in. “Speaking of, why aren’t you in armor like a _proper_ gamma? I remember when I married John, May, Ethan, and Francis. Both _my_ gammas wore real armor, not just a chest piece. Kids nowadays. No respect.”

Happy closed his eyes and prayed for it to end.

~  *  ~  *  ~

“I’m so proud of you.” Veronica Potts smiled at her daughter as Pepper turned.

“You like the dress?” Pepper asked, her voice full of nerves.

“Yes, but that’s not what I’m proud of.” Veronica rose and hugged her only child. “You overcame so much--”

“Mom, stop.” Pepper squeezed her mother tightly. She knew what her parent meant and she’d always hated that the older alpha let it get her down. “You were not what I was overcoming.”

“Baby, if Howard Stark hadn’t taken a chance and hired a packless single mom, we both might not be here,” her mother persisted. “I’m proud that you found a pack in spite of the stigma. My stigma.”

Pepper pulled back and held her mother gently, peering into her eyes. “You are _not_ a stigma. You were brave enough to own a mistake and raise the child created by that mistake without hesitation. Mom, so many others would have dumped me in an orphanage and taken the offer from the pack. You are so strong, without needing a pack to back you up.”

Veronica didn’t argue; she just hugged her daughter again. “That’s fine for you to say, sweetheart, but I’m glad you won’t have to experience it. I’m glad you’ll have a better life than me.”

~  *  ~  *  ~

There was a constant flow of people in and out of Rhodie’s room. Everyone wanted to ‘help’ him before the ceremony, not just the betas of his birth pack. He knew each and every person who came in his room, but most ducked out before he could do more than exchange hugs and take the present offered.

Aunt Sarah was collecting the gifts, piling them with neat military precision on the table Uncle Edward had found for them. “Your pack will be well-set,” she said with a smile, surveying the stacks.

“I don’t need them,” he said, grinning at his younger brother. The beta had a fierce look of concentration as he brushed lint off Rhodie’s pants. Jacob’s focus was amusing and he was taking his duty with absolute seriousness. “I think that they’ve surrendered, Jake.”

His brother shot him a look that promised no lint would survive and continued, while Aunt August said, “We know that, honey, you’re marrying Tony Stark.” There was a gleam of pride in her eyes as she said, “We wanted to give them to you.”

“Rhodie made his own way on his own.” His father’s voice filled with determined pride as he said, “You don’t need your alpha.”

“No, I do.” Rhodie looked into the mirror, trying not to think about a life bereft of Tony. “I just don’t need his money.”

“It helps,” Cousin Forest replied with a grin.

 _I’d take Tony as my alpha even if he was penniless._ Rhodie smiled into the mirror once more, feeling a peace he hadn’t known since he understood what ‘pack’ meant to an adult. Not only did he have his family, he had the alpha he’d wanted for years. _It doesn’t get better than this._

~  *  ~  *  ~

Val watched the entryway closely. Her chance was coming; it always did. The problem wasn’t tricking the doormen; it was getting past the computer. She’d have seconds to react during the power outage to get inside and start mingling like she belonged. Even then, she might not be fast enough to escape scrutiny. She’d better be - if she failed herself, she was going to furious about spending all that money to bribe a Stark employee.

It didn’t matter; the lights gave their two-second flicker warning and Val braced her feet. Her senses sped up as she removed the filters that let her operate at the same speed as everyone else. When she let her focus widen, people slowed to a crawl while the fly buzzing past seemed to hover in the air. The _tick_ of the clock in her head paused--

She pushed off of her bench and crossed half the street--

 _Tock_.

The lights went down and she dodged around the people in the entryway.

She dashed into the foyer, turning in a circle. People were just starting to react to her passing, their clothing and hair caught in her airstream.

The lights started to come on, and Val saw and entered the bathroom. Slamming a stall shut, she stripped her suit off and freed the red dress underneath.

The lights flared to life right as she ripped off the low-light goggles and stuffed it and her suit into  her shoulder bag. She slipped on the low black heels and put her running shoes in the bag, too. Drawing a deep breath, she focused again, feeling herself drop back into speed with the rest of the world.

Stepping out of the stall, she watched for security to come running. The area remained quiet, right until two high-class bitches wearing dresses known by their designer’s name walked in. Val didn’t call them bitches because they were rich; it was the haughty sneers they gave her wind-mussed blonde hair, visible freckles, and wrinkled dress. Her cheeks flushed as she glared at them and stalked out of the room, unwilling to start a fight over catty people.

“Must be one of Happy’s birth pack,” she heard one of the whisper just before the door slammed.

 _Ugh,_ she thought as she stalked down the main hall, joining the people meandering toward the massive auditorium the wedding was being held in. _Some people are just awful_. Those women reminded her of Johnny at his snottiest.

She went up a flight of stairs and paused, staring with wide eyes. The place was massive, taking probably the entire floor of the building. The staircase actually came up in the middle of the room, with more seating stretching up behind her.

Someone bumped her and Val clutched her bag as she spun to face them. The tall blonde man wearing armor glanced down at her. “My pardon, lady.”

“Sorry,” she said, stepped out of the gamma’s - wait, no, he was dressed like a gamma, but his scent was definitely alpha - way. Her eyes dropped to the weapon swinging from his belt and her mouth engaged. “Nice hammer.”

He turned back and gave her a nod. “Thank you.”

 _He is totally familiar. Who is he?_ As Val searched her memory, a beta and several gammas filled past: a woman, a heavy man, a slim blond, and a tall dark-haired man. Two brunettes followed closely, their heads together. The first blond man led them all down to seats near the front. He became the buffer between the two groups, with all the armored gammas and beta setting on one side of the big blond while the other two women sat on his other side. _Huh, wonder which one of them is the omega?_ Val wondered before deciding it was the blond woman because the brunette with her was far too assertive in her demeanor.

While interesting, she wasn’t looking for a pack with such obvious divisions. Val scanned the room again, looking for someone specific. A flash of red caught her eye and she stood on tiptoe to verify it was the Black Widow. She swallowed nervously at the sight of the elegant gamma, looking insanely hot and lethal in a simple black dress. A group of people milled around her, and Val’s palms started to sweat as she named them all. _Falcon. Hawkeye. Winter Soldier. Captain Mother-Fucking America._

They were supposed to be her enemies, but today they might become her salvation.

She found a seat three rows back from the Widow’s pack and hunched down in the comfortable chair, watching the five closely. When the lights dipped, she started slightly but the people around her merely headed for seats. Everyone settled down and a pall of silence descended as Pastor Jack Simmons took his place on the stage.

Rock music blared out with jarring suddenness; Val jumped a little but those seated around her laughed and cheered. A second later, Iron Man dropped from the ceiling, landing in a dramatic crouch on the stage. The suit peeled away from him, displaying Tony Stark standing with his arms raised high. The music reached a crescendo and Tony pointed to the back of the room as the music became a rock version of the Wedding March.

Caught up in the pageantry of the moment, Val rose and turned in her seat to see Happy Hogun and Col. Rhodes entering side-by-side. Though they were coming in after their alpha per tradition, they weren’t aggressive about it, waving to the crowd instead of scanning the sea of people. Though no one carried omegas away from weddings anymore, some people thought it an ill omen when the gammas weren’t serious about their security. _Of course, Iron Man wouldn’t be traditional at all: he and his gammas were all in tuxes so why should they hold to other old fashioned crap?_ The two gammas mounted the steps and flanked their alpha, clasping their hands behind their backs.

Pepper Potts was next, radiant in a blue dress. It was classy and close to the traditional beta robe favored by old farts. She waved like the gammas, though with far more restraint. As she ascended the platform, she seemed to float in heels tall enough to make Val wince. The beta had no trouble taking her place beside the alpha. Tony looped an arm around her waist as everyone turned to the door once more.

Val had only seen images of Banner in pictures. Piotr had wanted to go fight him once, but Johnny had forbidden it. Until their alpha had spoken, the rest of the pack had studied the Hulk, trying to learn everything they could. Now that she was looking at the doctor with new eyes, she felt a little sad for him. He seemed the most subdued of the pack, which wasn’t unusual for an omega, but he lacked the excitement that most omegas displayed on their wedding day. He smiled but didn’t wave, moving quickly to stand at Tony’s other side. The alpha put his arm around Bruce’s shoulders.

For a moment they faced the crowd, allowing the world to see them together. The pastor behind them broke the moment of consideration by stating, “If any dare to steal the omega, let them attack now. Should any challenge the gamma’s willingness to protect, say so now. Should any doubt this beta’s ability to care for and nurture her pack, let them ask. And if anyone questions this alpha’s ability to protect and provide for his pack, let him protest this bonding, now. Once the ceremony begins, the chance to object is done.”

The silence stretched for a long moment. People glanced around; Val saw the Widow’s pack and the group of gammas taking a particular interest in the audience. No one spoke up, as if there was any doubt. No one wanted the omega in question, and there was no doubt that the others could do their job.

“Then let the party begin,” Tony announced. What followed was a cavalcade of big name singers, all who wanted to perform for this wedding. Most were singing famous love songs though 3 Doors Down went all out and wrote a new song for the event. For a solid forty minutes, the wedding was more like a rock concert of some of the best acts in the world, including a few bands that Val had never heard of. Tony didn’t waste any time moving to the music and gestured for the audience to join him. Soon the whole room was on its feet, dancing their hearts out, or at least swaying politely to the songs. Val noted that Black Widow and Winter Soldier were good dancers, though the sight of the world-famous assassins bumping their hips together was something she never thought she’d see.

Finally, the entertainment portion was over and they got down to the main event. “When Mr. Stark asked me to perform this ceremony, I was taken a little aback,” Pastor Jack said, smiling warmly. The lights shone on his silver hair as he continued, “I wasn’t surprised that Tony had asked me or even that he was getting married. I was surprised by the pack he was choosing to build. But as we talked, I came to understand that this union is built on mutual love and respect. All five of these outstanding, nontraditional people care for each other as deeply as any conventional pack. So with great pleasure, I am pleased to come before God and packs today and forge the five separate souls into one, singular pack.

“I would have had more, but Tony told me to keep it brief.” A ripple of laughter passed through the room. “The pack has prepared their own vows, which they will give now.” The pastor folded his hands and Tony took over again, stepping forward.

“We almost went with the traditional vows,” he started. Behind him, Dr. Banner shook his head vigorously in comic denial, and a ripple of laughter passed through the room. Tony continued, “But we decided that this was more our pack’s style.”

He moved back so that he formed the apex of a triangle with Bruce and Pepper on either side, half-facing him. Behind them, Rhodie put one hand on Bruce’s shoulder and the other on Tony’s, while Happy mirrored him with hands on Pepper and their alpha.

“I’ve spent my life defending my country, sometimes with this alpha leading me.” Rhodie spoke clearly, used to being under pressure and in the spotlight. “I swear that I’ll cherish and defend this pack until my death, with every ounce of my being. They are my pack, now and always.”

Happy went next, his voice shaking with nerves. “I’ve guarded Tony for what feels like forever, and now I’m going to guard his pack, er, my pack, until my death, with all that I’ve got. No one’s going to hurt them if I can help it. They are my pack, now and always.”

“I’m supposed to cleave and obey, but Tony told me he’d be okay if I just listen to his rants occasionally.” Bruce smiled nervously at the chuckle he’d generated then held out his hands. Tony took one and Pepper the other. “I’m the new kid to this pack, like most omegas. In that time, they’ve treated me as if I was already part of their family. Tony let me stay at his tower and use his labs; Pepper has betaed me endlessly. Rhodie has been so welcoming and Happy didn’t hesitate when told to guard me. I don’t know if I’ll be helping in the omega’s traditional way, but I swear to all four of you that whatever I have is yours.” There was a double meaning to his words and it wasn’t certain if he was bringing more good or bad with him. “You are my pack, the pack I never dared to dream I’d have. Now and always.”

Pepper was blinking against tears while Happy discreetly rubbed his cheek on his shoulder. “I swear I’ll take care of you all,” Pepper whispered, clearing her throat against the rising emotions. Though short, her voice was heartfelt. “You are my pack, now and always, forever.” She offered her free hand to their alpha.

Tony gravely took her hand and murmured, “I will personally kick the ass of anyone who tries to hurt any of you, and you’ll never want for anything. You are my pack. Now and always. Forever.”

The five of them shivered suddenly and the crowd leaned forward, holding their breaths. The pastor smiled broadly as he inhaled once deeply. “I smell the new pack.” Cheers and whoops broke out in the auditorium, almost drowning out Pastor Jack’s declaration, “By the powers vested in me and by proof of your combined scent, I pronounce you a unified pack!”

Val found herself smiling happily. Even with her own concerns and worries, she was happy that they’d found joy together. It was always sad when a bond didn’t happen during pack unions. She would have hated to see it end in divorce.

Across the room, Loki smirked as she clapped. _That was nominally more entertaining than I was expecting._ Human marriages were far less traditional than Asgardian and she was guessing from the scathing commentary from the women behind her, the Man of Iron’s had been even less conventional.

Sighing as the cheering faded and the officiating high priest announced where the reception would be, Loki tossed her long hair over her shoulder and rose, making a show of gathering her purse and other accessories that human women choose to wear. She could see her brother near the front, now going forward to shake Tony’s hand. Smiling, she made her way to the reception. There, she should be able to determine if her brother had changed to suit her plans.


	3. Marked and Bound

Loki watched Tony Stark dance with his pack, the four members of his family swirling around him like satellites. The jotun smiled at another hopeful gamma who had swung by to hit on her, drawn by the alpha scent of a healthy female. Her smile bore only the barest resemblance to the expression and the gamma found someone else to bother.

Thor wasn’t dancing but he was watching the two humans he was courting for his pack. They were dancing happily, ignoring Thor and Sif’s disapproving glares. Loki rather liked the way the unknown one spun Jane and dipped her, laughing.

Moving slowly, she edged around the red and gold decorated room, making her way to the point where she’d be in earshot of her brother’s pack. They had been stationary for the first part of the reception and she felt comfortable sidling up behind them. She’d just found a seat at one of the scattered tables when Hogun turned around and looked at her.

Loki tensed subtly as the Vanir’s eyes roved over her, taking in the emerald dress she’d picked. The jotun realized that a flush was crawling up her face; as a man, she forgot how blatantly sexual men could make their gazes. Her fingers plucked at the gold tablecloth before latching around the red-hued wine stem of her glass. Even when a woman did it, there was something about the heated gaze of a man that was different - especially this man. Loki sipped from her wineglass, giving her best smoldering look back at him. _I’d forgotten how intense Hogun could be._

On the other side of Thor’s pack, the two humans were returning. Hogun turned around to greet them as they closed, still giddy from their dancing. “I see dancing agrees with you,” Thor remarked to Jane as he hugged her. There was no compliment and hug for the unknown brunette, who just rolled her eyes.

“It does. You should try it. Did anyone get any ideas about what we want to do at our wedding?” Jane looked around the pack from the safety of her alpha’s arms.

“We will have a traditional Asgardian wedding,” Sif said stiffly. Loki noted that she was uncomfortable with the brunette humans, holding herself away from the other women.

“Nice of you to make that call for all of us,” the unfamiliar brunette said, raising Loki’s eyebrow at her tone. “You’re not the only one getting married in this pack, Sif.”

“Only at Thor’s decree,” the black-haired woman growled.

“Peace, Darcy,” his brother murmured into Jane’s hair. “We will find a compromise.”

“You know, you keep saying that, but I don’t see any sign of it,” Darcy snapped, glaring up at his brother with even more fire than Jane. “All I see is Xena here demanding Jane give up her job and trying to force us to be Asgardian.”

Loki could have clapped, but Hogun turned toward her quickly. She wiped the mischievous glee off her face and managed a much more sedate expression for him. “Yes?” she purred when he came right to her table.

“I wanted to compliment you on your dress. It brings out your eyes.” His soft voice warmed with appreciation. “I do not know how to offer my admiration in the human way, so please forgive if I’ve caused offense.”

“No offense.” Loki looked past Hogun to Darcy, who was still ranting at Thor. “It looks like there’s conflict in your pack.”

Hogun winced and struggled for words. “Yes, Thor has picked an omega who insists on bringing a beta with her.”

 _Darcy’s a beta?_ Loki took another look at the woman, who was now saying, “I tased you once, and I’ll do it again!”

Batting her eyes at Hogun, she murmured, “Surely he’s not tolerating that.”

“He is passionately in love with his omega.” The gamma shrugged. “An alpha in love can be reckless. Sif has been his beta for many years and she would prefer to remain his. The cultural expectations on both sides need some work.  I think that Thor could resolve things but he might need some help. I wish his brother were around to offer advice.”

Loki resisted the urge to jerk with shock and guilt, unsure of what to make of the other’s faith in her. “Do you like the new beta and omega, or do you prefer Sif?”

“That is very unfair of you, my lady, to ask me to compare and judge members of my pack,” Hogun said with a smile.

“No judgment,” Loki grinned, “just your opinion.”

“My opinion is that there is a good reason that Thor is having trouble choosing.” The Aesir tilted his head slightly. “And talking to you allows me to escape the fighting.”

A mischievous thought crossed the jotun’s mind. “Do you want a longer excuse to escape?”

“Oh?” Hogun’s eyebrow arched and his voice dropped into a soft hum of anticipation. “What were you thinking, my lady?”

“A private place. An intimate activity.” Loki leaned forward and brushed her fingers down his arm. Even in stringent Asgard, gammas were safe to proposition for sex. They were outside the normal limitations designed to monitor procreation.

Hogun scooped up those delicate fingers and lightly kissed them. Staring into Loki’s green eyes, he said, “Yes.”

Loki closed her fingers around his hand and tugged on it. Hogun followed her with a little smile, his dark eyes filled with desire. She pulled him out of the main room and started to test the doors in the hall, exchanging an excited glance with Hogun when one opened.

The small kitchen was decorated in the bland colors that human businesses favored but Loki didn’t have a chance to focus on the decor. As the door closed, Hogun pulled her into his arms, his lips falling on her neck. “What is your name?” he whispered in between kisses on her throat.

“Lori,” Loki breathed, wiggling a little as his beard tickled her skin. His hand clamped down on her ass, holding her still as he tormented her with feather-light kisses.

“Hard limits?” he asked as his lips closed over her earlobe.

“None that we’ll experience here,” the alpha promised, digging her fingers into his long hair. Part of her pleasure was the knowledge that she was fucking Thor’s gamma, the very gamma he’d stolen from her.

Her thoughts of sweet vengeance were interrupted when Hogun lifted her and set her on the cabinet. His hand slipped up under the edge of her dress, his strong fingers firm on her thigh. Loki fidgeted again as he took his time, drawing out and tormenting her again. She knew if she ordered him to be faster he would; most unbound gammas would obey an order an alpha gave them in bed. Or on the counter, as it were.

His thumb brushed against her pubic hair and stopped. “No underwear?” Hogun asked, his voice hitching slightly.

 _Oops!_ Loki realized she’d subconsciously magicked them away sometime after they’d entered the room. “I’m a naughty alpha,” she whispered.

He groaned at her words and shifted his hand so he could stroke her labia softly. “A very naughty alpha,” he murmured, almost too softly to hear, and found her clit with his thumb.

Loki dropped her head back as she moaned, barely noticing when her skull hit the wooden cabinet behind her. Hogun kept up his motions, as his other hand slipped up her left leg. Her vocalizations increased as he pressed a finger into her pussy. A second finger joined the first and then the gamma started to stroke steadily in and out of her.

She grabbed his shoulders as an anchor as her ecstasy rose. Loki leaned in to kiss him but he turned his head enough that her lips landed on his jaw instead. “You’ll deny me the pleasure of your mouth?” she whispered huskily.

“I only kiss those I love, and whom I know love me,” he told her and his eyes were momentarily sad.

“Oh, well, if no kissing, then I assume this is allowed.” Loki went for the ties holding his pants closed, pleased when the odd sadness was washed away by lust. Her pussy tightened around his fingers as she touched his cock for the first time, and they both groaned as one. She stroked him once and his forehead dropped on her shoulder. Amusingly, though he didn’t seem to have the strength to hold up his head, he managed not to break the rhythm of his hands.

When he lifted his head, she saw the increase in lust in his eyes. Hungry for him, she kissed his cheek and nosed down to his neck. “May I mark you?” she asked before kissing his neck.

He shuddered against her. “My alpha would not like it.” He kissed her cheek softly.

“But would _you_ like it?” Loki pressed her lips to his skin again; she didn’t believe in playing fair.

He went still, only his fingers moving against her body. She wasn’t sure he was going to answer at all when he shivered slightly and said, “Yes.”

Later, she would have time to process what this apparent disloyalty meant; for now, all she could focus on was the intense rush of desire his consent gave her. That Hogun wanted her to mark him, over the wishes of his alpha, was an aphrodisiac like she’d never known. She groaned and bit lightly into his skin, drawing it into her mouth.

She’d just started to suck and apply pressure when Hogun’s fingers withdrew. He pushed her hands away as he pulled her to the edge of the counter. The head of his cock probed her pussy and with a sharp intake of breath, he started to push into her. Loki bit and sucked harder, whimpering with pleasure at being filled by the gamma. She hooked her legs around him, ignoring the way his armor hurt her exposed skin.

He sheathed himself completely with a groan, his head to one side to give her full access to his neck. As she held him close with her legs, he wiggled a hand between them so that his thumb could find her clit again.

That was all it took for Loki, who whined and shuddered as the orgasm took her body. She let go of his neck so that she could cry out with pleasure, her pussy shuddering around his length. For a moment, she thought he would come too, but he stilled himself until her body had subsided. _I’d forgotten how delicious female orgasms were_ , Loki mused to herself before grinning at Hogun. “You interrupted me. I haven’t finished your neck.”

“Next time, I’ll be polite and wait for you to finish first,” he chuckled.

She grabbed his hair and tugged his head lightly to the side again. “Don’t you dare,” she mock-growled before latching onto his neck again. As he started a steady, pleasurable rhythm in and out of her pussy, she worked on his neck, feeling ripples of ecstasy just from marking Thor’s gamma.

When she felt that she’d bruised Hogun’s neck enough that he’d bear her mark for at least a day, Loki lifted her head. The reddish spot was starting to turn purple and she grinned. “There,” she whispered into his ear, “all mine.”

He came in a shuddering rush at her words, his head dropping to her shoulder again. After a moment, he leaned over and grabbed some of the paper that humans used on messes. With fingers as gentle as a beta’s, he cleaned both of them as he pulled out of her. “Thank you,” he said when he was done.

“It is I who owe you thanks,” Loki admitted, touching the now-livid mark on his neck. “I don’t often get an encounter like that.”

“If you tried, you could have that as often as you wanted.” Hogun smiled enigmatically. He held out a hand. “Please allow me to escort you back to the reception.”

Loki went with him, carrying the warm pleasure of their encounter with her. She still needed to learn if her brother was ripe for her plans but there was a small distraction when they got back to the room. The fight that had been brewing when they left had escalated.

“-your fault, Thor!” Darcy was actually yelling now, standing on tiptoe and driving a finger into his chest. Jane stood behind her, trying to calm her down. Sif watched the other beta with disdain in her face; she should be intervening but Loki knew she was just as interested in forcing matters to a head. Volstagg and Fandral stood by helplessly as one member of the pack assaulted another; had the threat been external, the gammas would have known what to do. As it was, they had no clue when one of the betas turned on the alpha. “You should be dealing with this mess but you won’t. I shouldn’t have to protect Jane from Sif!”

Loki stopped, staring openly at the satisfying spectacle of someone standing up to her brother. She felt like clapping; this was _delightful_! The embarrassment on Thor’s face was worth the aggravation of crashing the human ritual. No, the dalliance with Hogun had been worth that and more; this was an added bonus.

Thor held out his hands placatingly. “This is not a public matter, Darc-”

“Apparently, it’s not a private one, either!” she snapped. Jane leaned closer and whispered something; Darcy shook her head. “No, he’s had _years_ to resolve this and he won’t--”

Her jaw dropped as Thor pointedly turned his back on her. “We will discuss this later,” he informed her, no doubt considering that to be the end of it. He started to walk away from her, gesturing for Sif to join him.

Loki saw it coming, not because he foresaw the future but because he saw it written in the beta’s enraged face. She snatched the wine glass off a passing tray and hurled it at the back of Thor’s head. The glass shattered across his hard skull without damage but the alcohol soaking into the Asgardian’s hair and shoulders was the point. That Sif had gotten splattered too was just added satisfaction.

Thor turned, fury in his eyes, snarling, “Impertinent human!”

“And that’s the problem! You want Jane but you won’t want her to be human.” The fact that Darcy seemed okay with him not wanting her peaked Loki’s interest in the woman. Oh, yes, the beta was human, but somehow she seemed so much more than that. _Perhaps not all humans are worthless creatures; perhaps I just hadn’t met the right ones._ That reminded her of the brave human who had tried to stop her when the Chitauri had taken control of her mind. _What had his name been?_ All Loki could remember was that he was a gamma.

“Guys, you cannot do this here.” Stark himself had descended from on high, wearing his suit of armor. While that seemed overkill, Thor was Thor, and the alpha’s protective instincts were heightened by his new pack. “Take it outside. Preferably outside of the planet.”

“Sorry, Iron Pants.” Darcy appeared to show a lack of respect to anyone, a trait Loki thoroughly approved of. “I got a little mad.”

“I noticed.” The Man of Iron didn’t seem that appeased by her apology.

“Tony, I apologize for my pack.” Thor said the words through tight lips. “Please allow us to remain and celebrate your union, if we swear not to cause anymore disharmony.”

“All right.” The suit flew away in pieces again and Tony smirked at Thor. “Just remember when it comes time for your wedding - payback’s a bitch.” It appeared that the show was over.

Now was the time. Val had always had good timing for this sort of thing but it wasn’t a hard decision to make when the weird pack of armored people had made such a scene. She’d kept an eye on the Black Widow and her pack so when the fighting started in earnest, she had her chance.

The small blonde edged around the room, stopping only when she realized the red head she’d been looking for was gone. _No!_ Panic seized the young omega and she rose on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see over the crowd.

“Looking for something?” The scent of powerful gamma rolled over her as Val spun to see the Black Widow behind her. Her lips were twisted into a wry smile as she said, “You’ve been watching me and my pack since the wedding. You seem pretty enough but we’re not looking for an omega--”

“No, that’s not it.” Val cut her off before she got the wrong impression. That could have been risky but most people indulged omegas in ways they wouldn’t other genders. Val hated that but today she was going to use it as a weapon. “I need your help.”

The request stopped whatever the Black Widow had been about to say. She studied Val for a moment and said, “Tell me.”

“I escaped from HYDRA and I need you guys to help me stay away from them.” Val glanced around nervously as the words started to rush out. “They’ve followed me everywhere else I’ve gone and I don’t know if they’re tracing me or--”

“Why?” The assassin cut off her building rant.

The omega took a deep breath and gave a simplified version of her story. “They’ve raised me from birth and trained me to be one of their minions. I can’t do it anymore.”

“Anymore?” Widow asked sharply.

This could be the hard part. The woman in front of her had done bad things before she’d joined SHIELD but that didn’t mean she’d be okay with someone else being HYDRA. Val bit her lip for a second before admitting, “Yeah, anymore. HYDRA had only had us do a couple of missions but none of them were exactly humanitarian in nature.”

The older woman’s green eyes narrowed. “Your pack? You don’t smell bonded.”

Swallowing hard, the young omega admitted, “I broke our bond.”

Her crimson eyebrows rose in response; shattering the bonds of a pack was extremely difficult. “Children?” Widow grilled, her expression hard.

Val shook her head. “They had the alpha on birth control and the beta was female. Our minders did, I mean.” Not that she wanted children anyway.

The Black Widow stared at her for a long second. “Follow me.” She turned and stalked away at a fast pace, not that Val had trouble keeping up. She trotted after the gamma, following as she led her into an small side room. The other members of the older woman’s pack were in the area, looking at her expectantly when she entered.

“I’m Steve Rogers.” Captain America extended his hand toward her, the perfect image of the hero he was even in the dark tuxedo. Normally, Val would have appreciated the way he looked in either suit but she was way too nervous.

“V-vala.” She managed to take his hand with only a second’s of hesitation. “Call me Val.”

“We were listening to you what you told Natasha.” He smiled a little at her start of surprise and dug a communicator out of his ear. “We’ve been trying to figure out what to do about you since my gammas spotted you ghosting us.”

“Oh.” The omega swallowed again. Nervously catching one of her blonde locks in her hand and twisting it, she asked, “So are you going to help me?”

“Maybe. We haven’t decided yet.” Steve waved for her to move deeper into the alcove and she found herself standing with all of his pack around her. Of all of them, only the alpha seemed at ease with her. The Falcon glared at her but that hard expression faded as she started to talk. The gammas did not relax their scrutiny of her.

“Have any of you heard of the Razors?” she asked, not really expecting them to have.

To her shock, the Soldier nodded, as well as Hawkeye and the Widow. “It’s the pack from Project Next Gen, a program to raise and indoctrinate children into the HYDRA mindset from birth,” Hawkeye said gruffly. “I’m a little fuzzy on the details but as I recall, the kids in question would be raised together and picked to be a complimentary pack. You were part of that?”

“Yes,” she told him.

Falcon asked, “You had the normal set-up? For a pack, I mean.”

Val nodded. “Right until our alpha killed our beta.” The horror of her words was echoed in the faces of the pack. Alphas were supposed to protect and defend, not kill. “Not directly. But he let her be killed so the rest of us could escape. She was my best friend.”

“I’m sorry.” Steve spoke softly, his face sympathetic.

The omega managed a smile for his words. “When she died, it just hurt so much. I realized that I’d done that to other people, that I’d hurt them like that. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep causing pain.”

“You broke your bond and ran?” The Soldier had a surprisingly gentle voice.

Val nodded. “Now they’re after me. Johnny - you don’t know what he can be like.” The omega shivered. “If he gets me back, he’ll kill me, alpha or not. Christina was his favorite and he still let her die. I just need help hiding from them.”

Steve looked at Hawkeye. The gamma nodded and touched Val lightly on the arm. “I’m up for it. I have a soft spot for reforming women.”

Bucky touched Val lightly on the arm and said, “You don’t need to ask me, punk. Where this pack goes, I follow. Besides, she needs us.”

Val felt tears well in her eyes. She hadn’t expected them to just _help_ her. She’d expected requirements and rigid rules. The Black Widow put a hand on her shoulder and told her, “I wouldn’t have brought you over here if I wasn’t ready to help.”

“Sam?” Steve asked, their scents forming a shield of protection around her.

Sam held out a hand to Steve and he took it. “I say help her.”

Steve reached out once more, and she placed her small hand in his massive one. “This pack is one, Vala. We’ll protect you.”

An electric current went through the group; Val gasped as she became suddenly aware of them. She knew that if parted from them, she’d know where each one was, and she could always point and find them at the end of the path her finger choose. Their scents washed over and through them, and a new smell arose: the comforting aroma of pack.

“Oh my fucking fuck!” she yelped pulling sharply away from them as panic gripped her. “You bound me!”


	4. Thicker Than Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update; I had a migraine this morning so I've been asleep most of the day. I hope you all enjoy! :)

“Calm down.” Sam’s soft words did little to relieve the scared omega. The only thing she could think was, All that work to escape and now I’m trapped again. Her eyes darted to Steve, seeing not his handsomeness but his size. Johnny had hurt her so much during her heats; this alpha would be worse.

Val backpedalled until she hit a wall. The pack - my pack! - didn’t crowd her, giving her space. “It’s okay,” Sam said, lowering himself to one knee and signalling for the others to do the same. The gammas followed his lead, while the alpha - always the ones who found it hardest to play at harmlessness - moved to the doorway of the alcove, his stance protective. The beta glanced at Steve, then said, “Val, it’s okay. It wasn’t intentional. It was a spontaneous bonding.”

He looked happy about it, as if the binding had released something in him. There was a sense of peace to them all now, save Steve, who looked strung tight as he stood like a sentinel. The Captain glanced at her and she was thankful that someone had the grace to look as overwhelmed as she felt.

“It was meant to be.” The Winter Soldier gave her an uncertain smile.

Val pressed her closed fists to her temples; only the fact that the alpha blocked the doorway prevented her from fleeing. “This isn’t the place for this,” Steve growled. “JARVIS, please ask Bruce for an aerosol scent suppressant and something with a hood or a cap for Ms.--” He glanced sharply at her, his blue eyes assessing. “For Vala.”

“Yes, Captain,” the dry computer voice answered.

“Mengele,” she whispered into the quiet room.

“What?” the Soldier asked, his eyes widening.

“That was the surname they gave all of the Razors.” She bit her lip before daring to meet her new alpha’s horrified gaze. “I’m Vala Adolfa Mengele.”

No one seemed to know what to say to that, and they settled into an uneasy silence. “You know,” Bruce said as he slipped past Steve into the room, “you’d think that my friends would cause less . . .” His voice trailed off and he took another sniff of the air. Val flinched when his eyes settled on her; he’d figured it out, just that fast. Shaking his head with a wry grin, he said, “Between you and Thor, I never get to have nice things. Here.”

Steve took the aerosol and spritzed himself then tossed it to Clint, the closest gamma. “Thank you, Bruce.”

“I understand. Congrats.” Bruce shook his hand. “Figures it would happen to you this way. Just be warned, Tony’s never going to shut up about it.”

“Tony never shuts up about anything,” the Widow grumbled as she watched the men in her pack spray themselves with the fine mist. Taking the can, she enveloped herself in a cloud of white as she added, “I’ve been told it’s part of his charm but I have yet to understand.”

Val stared as the can was extended to her. She wasn’t really opposed to cloaking her smell, especially since these idiots had just bound her. But accepting their help now seemed to be accepting their bond, too. Stop being so mean. Her mind chided her in Christine’s voice; she could almost see her dead friend laughing at her as she said, _You’re taking out your bad mood on them._

Hesitantly, she took the can and coated herself in the short-acting chemical. The stink of artificial strawberries coated the inside of her nose and she sneezed sharply. Steve moved then, handing her the baggy gary hoodie that said Stark Industries across the back. Val took it with shaking fingers. “You want me to wear this?”

“We’ll have to tell people that we’re a closed pack but I want to give us some time before that happens.” He looked apologetic as he added, “I know it seems like we’re hiding you for us but really, I’d rather your old pack didn’t know about us. I’d also rather not have the media attempting to find out who you are until we have a handle on this.”

“That’ll be a while,” Val mumbled as she pulled the coat on, even over her shoulder bag. The hoodie was loose despite covering so much bulk and she zipped it shut.

Steve knelt in front of her; when he took a knee like that he wasn’t towering over her. “I know this is hard.” He started to touch her and withdrew his hand; behind him, Bruce glanced away from the private moment. The alpha’s blue eyes were earnest as he pulled her hood up, careful not to touch her. “We’ll figure it out, together.”

“Okay,” Val whispered but it wasn’t really. She just didn’t have any real choice.

The pack formed up around her as they left the room, with Falcon looping an arm over her shoulder. She kept her head down as they moved as one group toward the door. She felt people staring though she didn’t dare look up.

Bruce moved back toward his pack, where Tony and the rest waited with expectant gazes. Steve gave them a hard look as he crossed the floor before sweeping his eyes around the room. You’re hypervigilant. He didn’t try to convince himself that there was no peril. His omega had come to him in danger and he wouldn’t relax until they were away from the crowds.

 _My omega_ , he mused, giving a quick glance back at the small form trailing behind him. Love and worry swelled in his heart, filling him with strange tenderness. He’d expected to feel like this toward the members of his pack he already knew, but that fierce devotion existed for the newcomer as well.

Her history, what little he knew of it, worried him. Before this moment, he’d thought he’d prefer an omega who hadn’t been bound to a pack once, but now, with her presence in his mind, he didn’t care. Vala was his, and that was all that mattered.

He almost palmed the camera that was thrust at him when they walked into the main hall. The man was behind the press line, as they had agreed. Another beta, one he knew by sight but not name, beamed and pushed a recorder at him. “Captain America!” she gushed, batting her eyes at him. “What did you think of the wedding?”

He’d already considered several tactful remarks that he could make about the ceremony. It hadn’t been traditional enough for his taste but it had been very right for his friends. “It was lovely,” he said, standing his ground while the rest of the pack stayed in motion, moving Vala past the press and up the hall toward the elevator. “Very Tony.”

“Is there any chance of a Rogers Pack wedding soon?” another reporter asked, the gamma’s eyes glinting at the hope of some gossip.

It took Steve a moment to remember her name. “Nadine, no, we have no announcements to make.” The topic skirted too close to his omega’s plight and he could feel his shoulders drawing tight under his jacket. The elevator dinged and he started walking back toward it, adding, “And we’re not taking applicants for our pack.”

“Who’s your friend?” someone shouted but Steve ignored them, turning around and trotting to the waiting car.

The doors closed and he snuck another peek at his new pack member. With the hood up and her head down, all he could see were hints of her - a bit of blonde hair hanging there, the quick, nervous motions of her hands. She looks so fragile, so small. Her head didn’t come to his shoulder, making her easily the shortest member of the pack. She didn’t seem strong enough to do anything of note, but he remembered that she’d broken her bond to her other pack. _You don’t do that if you’re weak. You have to be strong to shatter those ties._

The door opened and Steve and Bucky stepped into the hall together. Clint and Natasha guarded the omega and beta, ready to fight or run at the Captain’s word. When Steve saw it was safe, he gave the ones behind a quick smile and headed down the corridor to their door.

Once more, he and Bucky investigated the interior before waving everyone in. As Sam shut the door, Steve ordered, “JARVIS, lock down the room, anti-intrusion measures.”

“And this is pack business, so don’t record or report to your boss,” Clint added with a growl.

“I understand, Mr. Barton.” The IA sounded bemused as he continued, “I assure you that if I share this with Sir, it will only be out of extreme necessity. He has been informed of your bonding by Bruce. Please allow me to congratulate you.”

“Thanks,” Steve replied, relaxing for the first time since they’d spotted Vala tailing Natasha. Turning to everyone else, he said, “We’re safe and can talk. First, introductions.”

“I know who you all are,” Vala said, her voice shaking as hard as the hands which pushed back her hood. “HYDRA told me all about you guys.”

“Then you don’t know who we are,” Natasha said, her voice only a touch sharp. Steve felt a wave of worry - what if members of his pack didn’t get along? That’s why they’d been so slow about choosing; the pack had felt good where it was, safe and happy. Now he knew they’d just been waiting for her. He just didn’t know if the acclimation would be easy or not.

“Natasha is right,” Sam said, his tone far more gentle than the former assassin’s. “You might know what we are, but you don’t really know who we are. “I’m Sam Wilson.” The veteran offered his hand, his expression warm and open. “It’s just Sam to everyone here.”

The Winter Soldier offered his right hand to her. “I’m James Barnes, but everyone in the pack calls me Bucky.”

“I’m Clint.” Hawkeye gave her a nod, his sharp eyes softening as he watched her.

Natasha managed a crooked smile. “You can call me by whatever variant of Natasha that suits you, Val.”

“I’m just Steve.” The Captain could see that she wasn’t very settled by any of this. Sighing, he said, “Tell us what to do, Vala.”

“Give--” She cut off whatever she was going to say and instead told them, “Give me five minutes to process that I came to you guys for help and wound up bound into a pack with you. And I need something to fidget with.”

Sam left and came back with one of the little wooden puzzles he loved to collect. He’d never admit it, but Steve knew he was already starting a toy collection for future kids. Steve hadn’t been sure when they could start a family but with the arrival of their omega, that was an option.

Only their omega was young and seemed scared of them. Steve wanted to address that but he knew now wasn’t the time. He wasn’t sure there was ever a good time for dealing with an omega who was terrified of her pack.

Taking the toy, she settled into her seat and started to mess with it, creating a soothing clicking sound as the pieces hit one another. Steve waved for the rest of the pack to move to the other side of the room. Silently, they followed him, reluctant to step away too far away from the woman they all loved now. He found it a little frightening, about how true that was: one moment had left him loving a total stranger. They knew nothing about Vala - she could be playing them but it didn’t matter, she was their omega, and they were her pack.

The click-click of her play sped up and Steve stiffened as it became a hum. He glanced at her to find that her eyes were closed even as her fingers became a blur of speed. The entire pack stared at her, watching as she completed and undid the puzzle over and over again, the motions almost becoming a moving meditation. When she finally stopped, she seemed calmer.

“Um, I need to say thanks,” Vala said softly as she stood up and took a step closer to them. “And sorry. I freaked out pretty badly. This wasn’t what I’d been expecting when I came here.”

“None of us expected it. We understand your concern.” Steve smiled at her, feeling a bit uneasy. “You have something else to tell us, Vala?”

She winced - cutely, the possessive part of him noted and was ignored - and shook her head. “Yeah, I suppose I do. I can accelerate myself or maybe slow time. I’m not sure which I’m doing when I do it but I have to try to stay slow.” She looked around quickly. “I know that makes me a freak--”

“No.” Sam’s words cut her off. “Don’t think that. You’re you.”

“How did you get your powers?” Natasha asked.

“They were programmed into me when they built my genes.” She said the words like most people would say, I like Italian. As if the words were normal instead of horrifying. Steve choked back another spike of anger at what had been done to his omega. It didn’t matter to his hindbrain that she hadn’t been part of his pack when this had been done. All that mattered was that she had been hurt.

“HYDRA can genetically engineer people with superpowers?” Sam asked, his tone somewhere between afraid and skeptical. Steve could feel himself responding to the fear and he ignored the feelings as best he could.

“Sorta,” their new pack member said softly. “They can code for the powers to emerge but they really can’t pick what powers manifest. I heard them talking once about how my powers were too useful to just use me for breeding. Also, not all the kids made it. Lots of them went mad.”

“Define lots,” Barton said sharply.

“About one in four didn’t go wacko.” Her green eyes were jaded and sad, and Steve fought the urge to do whatever it took to wipe that look from her face. It didn’t help when she sighed, “HYDRA put them down.”

 _How many friends did she watch die?_ His desire to lash out became stronger and he took several deep breaths. He consciously unclenched his jaw as soon as he realized he was grinding his teeth, but not before Natasha gave him a worried look.

“Would you be willing to have Bruce look over your genetics?” Sam asked and smiled winningly. “Just to be safe?”

“Wanna see if I’m going to make two-headed babies?” she asked and there was the slightest edge of bitterness that told Steve she feared that was the truth.

“No. We want to see if you’re okay,” the beta said in that way only betas really could, with a voice that was full of care and concern. “Our concern is for you now, Val. Just for you.”

Slowly, she nodded. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. I am just so confused and lost right now.”

“It’s alright.” The veteran moved to sit next to her on the couch and put his arm around her. His hug grew more sure as she didn’t resist, leaning into him and putting her head on his shoulder.

Steve found his tension uncoiling as she accepted comfort from the pack for the first time. He would feel better once they’d totally eliminated the threat to his omega but until then, seeing her becoming part of his pack was enough.

“I know this is stressful, kid,” Clint said, shattering Steve’s peace of mind. When his archer tried to be comforting, it all went bad. “But look on the bright side - you don’t have to be a Mengele anymore. You are now an all-American Rogers.”

“What?” Vala said, all sign of peace leaving her eyes.

“It’s traditional for the pack members to take on the last name of their alpha,” Natasha explained, even as she elbowed Clint in the side. “So you’d be Vala Adolfa Rogers.”

Steve winced at the horrid name, wondering if she’d be interested in changing her middle name too. Those worries were immediately washed away by the spike of fear and shock from Vala. Only extreme emotions made it through the pack bond and while Steve hadn’t experienced them before, the emotions were foreign enough that Steve knew they weren’t his. He just knew where they originated from.

Vala jerked away from Sam and stood next to the couch, her hands held up in front of her. “Nope. Nope. I’m done. I am out. I broke one pack bond; I can do it again.”

Steve lost all ability to be rational at those words. He was barely aware of the way his fists clenched tight or the pure rage in his voice as he snarled, “No one is breaking apart my pack.”

Her fear of him and the terror of being trapped redoubled at his words but he couldn’t take them back. “Everyone out!” Sam rose and hovered protectively next to her, waving toward the door. “You’re upsetting her. Go to another room and give her space.”

When the beta spoke like that, even Steve listened. “No one leaves the suite,” he said even as he wondered if anyone could stop a girl who could move so fast. He’d be able to find her, until the day one of them died, but he couldn’t protect her if she ran.

He and the gammas gathered in the living room, where Clint immediately turned on the TV. As Steve pretended to watch the boxing match the archer had chosen, he wondered if they could make this pack work right. _Will she ever trust us?_

~ * ~ * ~

Loki was bored. Thor’s pack had retreated to two of the banquet tables, still visibly split between on either side of the towering alpha between mortals and gods. Darcy had quieted after Stark’s intervention, though Loki could still feel waves of frustrated rage pouring off of her; she was fairly certain even the dullard humans in the room could. The beta sat alone, watching Thor and Jane as they left to dance together. There was possibility there, both for her needs in regard to Asgard and as a way to needle her brother, but now was not the time. Any more interruption from Thor’s pack and they would be asked to leave the reception, Loki was sure. She wanted to play with the pack some more but for now, she was content to watch them.

The crowds parted just so and Loki stiffened in shock. The human, the one she had killed on Fury’s flying ship, stood near the gift table. The jotun watched as he placed a decorated box among the others and walked deeper into the room, bypassing the wine to get a plate of food.

 _I killed him!_ Loki attempted to remember another one of his enemies who had come back from the dead but failed to summon even one. _I have fought beings of great power and magic - how can this one have survived!_

She closed her eyes and reviewed the encounter in her mind. _Was I fooled or tricked? Does this mere human know magic?_ Nothing in her memory of the event could enlighten her; she’d left the man with a fatal blow when he’d shot her with the cannon of fire. 

 _Any enemy you don’t see die is one that should not be seen as dead._ Loki knew that was true, yet she had left this one because he’d been a fragile mortal.

 _Not so fragile, then._ Loki covertly watched him select some food and start to mingle. She rose and went to the table herself, making sure to pass by him. Her memory was right; this was a gamma male.

The urge to secret him away somewhere and find what made him live coiled in her chest but she refrained, particularly when she saw the way that Sif greeted him. He would be missed and Loki would rather Thor didn’t know she was here, not unless it served her purpose.

The memory of her task was in the forefront of her thoughts as she mindlessly searched the buffet table for suitable foods. She watched her brother’s pack and knew he was not ready for her purposes. _Then it falls to me,_ she thought sourly. She would need her own pack then, she thought, her eyes falling on the human beta. _None on Asgard would have me_ , she thought, the pain from that still fresh, _and none on Jotunheim I would have. So Midgard it is._

Only the love for her adopted people could make her accept this sacrifice.


	5. The Honorable Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm bored tonight, so I'm posting early! If you're also bored, check out our other collaborative fic: [**Age of Miracles**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3377111).

Darcy sighed and took another drink of wine, wishing they had something stronger. They didn’t; she asked already. It wouldn’t help with her headache - only thing that would help with that was an orgasm. _Or if I got to taze Thor. Or Sif. That’d be great, too._

One of the objects of her ire was dancing with Jane, holding her close as he whispered words of sweet plication in her ears. Part of her anger was the sure knowledge that her omega friend would forget all about the problems with the pack at Thor’s soft assurances. Jane was so book-smart and man-dumb.

 _So what does that make you? An idiot who’s sticking around in a terrible pack for her best friend’s sake._ At first, Darcy had enjoyed the sex with Thor and Fandral, but once she’d realized that the alpha was sticking his head in the sand in regards to the pack’s issues, she’d lost all interest in the godling. The blond gamma followed his alpha’s lead in all things and Darcy had found her options for bed partners lacking recently.

“God, I suck as much as her.” Darcy took another drink of wine, feeling a pity-party coming on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I doubt  that’s true.” Phil Coulson stood just behind her as if he’d materialized from the floor.

Darcy nearly spit her wine all over his tux; the SHIELD agent smirked as she choked back her alcohol. “You,” she finally gasped, gathering up her dignity and crossing her arms, the chilled glass freezing an elbow. “You still owe me an iPod.”

“SHIELD returned yours, Ms. Lewis,” he told her with a little smile.

“Yeah, with all my files deleted,” she rejoined, shoving her index finger into his chest. Beyond Phil, the woman in green who had slipped off with Hogun watched them with interest. For a second, Darcy wished she didn’t have an alpha so she could flirt with that woman; she’d certainly left a satisfied look on the brunet gamma’s face. That was neither here nor there, and Darcy returned her attention to the gamma she was playfully tormenting. “You owe me a _restored_ iPod, g-man.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said easily. “Let me buy you a drink.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “The bar’s free. Try again.”

“Then I’ll buy you a drink next time I see you.” He smiled widely at her, daring her to call him on that one.

She did of course. “In another five years?”

“It’s only been four.” Now his grin was wicked. “You missed me.”

Darcy felt a flush over her cheeks; between the drink and the gamma’s force of personality, she found herself wondering if she could slip away like Hogun had. She opened her mouth to say something and a hand dropped onto Phil’s shoulder.

“I don’t recall inviting any dead men.” Tony smiled thinly at the agent, his expression its usual wry smirk.

“I was only a little dead,” Phil replied.

“‘There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead’,” Darcy said glibly, then flushed when the two men stared at her. “There’s something wrong with you two if you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“Excuse us, Manic Pixie Girl,” Tony said, and caught Phil by the arm. The agent cast a glance over his shoulder at Darcy but didn’t resist being dragged away. As they walked away, she could hear Tony say, “Pepper is upset you were here earlier . . .”

“Perfect.” _There goes my one-night gamma._ “Could this night get any worse?”

“What an awkward question to ask just as I come to introduce myself.” The woman in the green dress glided up to her, looking elegant and lovely in contrast to Darcy’s tired irritation. “Lori.”

“Pretty name. Darcy.” She offered her hand and the alpha kissed her knuckles. Hastily, Darcy looked for Thor but he was busy with Jane. Sif was not, and her lips were pressed into a hard line as she glared at them.

“Have I gotten you into trouble?” The woman’s concerned expression was right but there was glee in those green eyes.

“No more than usual.” Sadly, that was also true; Darcy couldn’t seem to _not_ get in trouble when Sif decided to make it an issue. “So, why are you so interested in me?”

“Am I?” Lori asked, sipping her wine.

“You are. I mean, I guess you could have been checking out Phil but you were checking out the entire pack earlier.” Darcy raised her eyebrow. “You like Thor’s sloppy seconds or something?”

“Such a terrible way to talk about yourself.” The woman raised a perfect dark eyebrow. “Its also an interesting way to refer to someone who isn’t yet bound into a pack.”

“No, we’re not bound.” Darcy closed her eyes wearily and drained her glass. She was tired of people asking about it, of the expectant question and unsought pity. She knew people saw her as a hanger-on to Jane’s pack, forcing her way in where she wasn’t welcome. The problem was that Thor had told her she was welcome but had done nothing to make that happen.

“Would you like to be?” Lori seemed surprised at her own offer but recovered quickly. “Yes, I am starting my pack and I’m looking for a beta.”

“So where are your gammas?” Darcy asked, tilting her head to the side.

“I haven’t found them. Yet,” her companion admitted.

“I am no longer interested in getting involved with an alpha who isn’t serious about their pack,” Darcy said, digging a pen out of her clutch and scribbling a random number on a napkin. “So you find your gammas and call me. If I’m still available, we’ll talk.”

“We will, Darcy,” Loki told the pretty beta as she tucked the napkin into her cleavage. _And I won’t need your phone number when I do._ She gave the beta a gorgeous smile as Darcy left her table, wondering if the human had any clue what she’d started.

 _A gamma, a gamma, where to find a gamma?_ Loki glanced around the room, her green eyes speculative. In truth, she’d need at least two gammas; no self-respecting noble of Asgard would settle for less. Odin had had three, before the Jotun War, though only Heimdall and Freya, his beta, had survived the conflict.

Across the room, the not-dead mortal was mingling with the Man of Iron’s pack, talking to Happy and Pepper. _There’s an unbound gamma, and one who is far more interesting than most_ , Loki thought, smiling like a cat.

That did present a new problem: how to convince a man she’d murdered to join into her pack? Trickery seemed the obvious answer but Loki knew that she couldn’t build a pack on lies and deceit. She’d use it early on, just long enough to get close and isolate the gamma, so she could talk to him.

Patiently, she waited for him to finish speaking with his friends and acquaintances. As she waited, she watched him, trying to decode the secret of his life. _I know I killed you_ , she mused silently, her eyes tracing the lines of his fingers. She was vaguely surprised to feel arousal rising in her, but after a moment, she knew it was because he was a mystery. Nothing provoked her lust faster than a puzzle.

He took a drink from his wine glass and her gaze followed the sweep of the glass to his mouth. When she looked just a little higher, she found him watching _her_. The canny assessment in his blue eyes took her aback for a beat. When she managed a coy smile, he smirked and walked toward her.

The best prey was the one that walked into the trap, and Loki settled into her chair, making sure that her body was relaxed. The mortal stopped at her table, still smiling. “May I join you?” he asked.

“Of course.” Loki waved him into the chair next to her and the gamma sat. “Lori.”

“Phil.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “Normally, I’m not this forward, but you have been staring at me. Why?”

“Are you paranoid or curious?” she asked, taking a sip of her wine to draw attention to her lips.

He remained focused on her eyes. “Both. I can multitask very well, even when a beautiful woman is flirting with me.”

“Only beautiful women?” Loki tried not to sound too hopeful. Gammas were likely to be bisexual, just like alphas tended to be willing to fuck anything that could go into heat while fogging a mirror.

His eyebrow rose. “Why do I feel like I’m being interviewed?”

She studied him a moment, trying to decide if she should be coy or honest. “Because,” she said softly, settling on honest, “I’m looking for a pack.”

He relaxed, accepting her answer. “I’m not.”

A spike of displeasure shot through her but didn’t show on her face. “Why?” she asked.

“My job doesn’t give me time to focus on a pack.” Phil shrugged easily.

“Doesn’t that bother you?” Loki asked softly.

“Trying to get me to change my mind?” Answering with a question was apparently one of his favorite tactics.

“Of course. I want you for mine.” She stared at him while speaking bluntly.

He laughed, a sound she found herself liking quite a bit. “You’re honest, I like that.” Now it was his turn to study her closely. “Why me?”

“I want the devotion you give to your job.” She wanted him for more reasons but those she couldn’t tell him yet. “I want that guarding my family and my pack. Gammas are driven to protect a pack, yet you . . . what do you do?”

“I work for the U.S. Government.” He played with the stem of his wineglass thoughtfully.

“Yet you are driven to protect a nation. That is devotion.” She reached out and brushed her fingers over the back of his hand. “I want it.”

He shook his head. “It’ll take more than a beautiful woman to sway me.”

“I am more than a beautiful woman. You didn’t answer me about beautiful men.” Loki loved prying at a man’s corners; she could do this all night.

“A beautiful man wouldn’t do it either,” he told her with a grin.

At last, they were to the point of this encounter. “What would?”

“A safe world.” He spoke softly but there was no mistaking the desire in his voice.

 _And like that, I am trapped. To save Asgard, I must save Midgard in the bargain._ She’d been disinclined to step away from this gamma before this moment but when the man showed her his heart, she knew she needed his strength. “Commendable. What if your pack were to help you with that?”

He blinked, caught off-guard. “You want to join SH- me?”

“No but I will help your cause, just as I’d expect that you’d help my goals.” Loki exchanged her empty glass for a full flute of champagne when a waiter passed with a tray. “Imagine what you could do for your Sh-organization with a pack at your back.”

He gazed at her, his eyes suspicious. “That’s not the way it works, Lori. The alpha’s wishes become the guiding force and goals for everyone else. That’s why I’ve never submitted to an alpha.”

A shiver passed over her skin at those words. To get this gamma to _submit_ to her became more of a driving need than before. “I’m not your typical alpha.” She somehow kept her voice even and level as she spoke. “Let’s discuss this somewhere private. Even if you don’t agree to join my pack, I’d hate to miss the opportunity to seduce a gamma like you.”

“You enjoy the chase.” He seemed amused rather than offended by her forwardness. “All right. Your room or mine?”

“Yours.” She didn’t have a room in this realm, much less in this city.

 


	6. The New Girl

Sam sat not too far from her, relaxed on his couch. At least she assumed it was the Pack’s which made it technically _hers_ , or rather _theirs_. The very thought had Vala’s panic rising again, and she pressed her hands to her face.

“It’s okay,” the beta said to her, his voice soft and soothing. “I know it doesn’t seem like it will be, but we’re going to take care of you.”

“This is just too much,” she whispered, feeling them in the back of her mind. It wasn’t like it had been before, with the Razors. They had been present in her skull, with a gentle insistence she could ignore. This bond wasn’t gentle and it wasn’t just _present_. It was a star that blazed through her thoughts, pulling them toward that light. If she’d chosen this, she’d love it - this fire and this intimacy made her feel warm and safe. Being bound to a pack was humanity’s natural state of being.

“That’s why I kicked them out of the room.” He smiled sweetly at her. “You clearly needed the space.”

“I just don’t know how to deal with all of this. I hadn’t even repaired the issues with leaving the Razors-” she stopped at the flicker of worry that crossed Sam’s face. “Not bonding issues. I don’t have emotional residuals or echoes. I _do_ have some emotional trauma, and I haven’t really had the time to work on that.”

“We’ll help you with it.” He leaned a little closer and caught himself invading her space. Trying to be casual, he edged back from her. “We’re here for you.”

“I know, I just . . .” Her voice trailed off as she caught rising agitation through the bond. _Steve_. She knew without asking that the growing feeling came from the tall alpha. She couldn’t explain why, she just knew that it fit him. She felt herself fold in on herself. “I upset him.”

“Not directly,” Sam said softly.

Val appreciated that he wasn’t trying to insist everything was fine. Swallowing hard, she stood up. “I’ll go fix it.”

“He’ll be fine. You don’t need to fix anything.” The beta rose as well, subtly moving so that he stood between her and the door. “Steve’s a big alpha. He can manage his own feelings.” With shocking suddenness, the anger turned to sexual pleasure. “Ahhh . . . that’s not actually what I meant.”

“What’s he doing?” the omega asked as her face flamed red.

“Having sex with the gammas.” Sam smiled at the look on her face. “You don’t have to have sex with all of them, but Steve and I do regularly.”

“I just have to have sex with Steve,” she muttered, feeling trapped despite the attractiveness of her alpha. _My bound mate._

“You don’t _have_ to have sex with him, either.” Her pack mate sighed slightly. “I understand your old pack is different. I want you to understand they’re very different from us.”

“What about my heats?” she asked.

“We’ll aid you in riding them out, or you can choose to have sex with Steve.” He smiled sadly, though she sensed he was sad about how her life had been to this point. “It’s your choice, Vala. It always will be.”

She tried to keep the skepticism off her face. “If I said no before the heat, he wouldn’t take advantage of the moment?”

Sam nodded. “Vala, you could walk in there right now, ride him to the point of his orgasm, and then tell him no. He’d always respect that.”

Vala sincerely doubted that, and few things irritated her more than lies, especially ‘guaranteed’ ones. “Okay,” she said, ducking around him and heading for the emotional font that was her alpha.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Steve stared through the television, his eyes not seeing the match in front of his face. He was completely distracted by thoughts of Vala, his mind caught up in the desperation and vulnerability he saw in her. He pushed those thoughts away but they returned over and over.

Worse than his wish to protect her was his base need to fuck her. As an alpha, Steve had often dealt with his overwhelming sex drive, but now it was coupled with an alpha’s need to claim his omega. The smell of a unified pack rose all around him but his own scent was still there, and he needed to mingle it with hers. Steve’s head fell back as his eyes fluttered shut, imagining her small body draped over his. He needed to--

Hands on his pants jerked him back to awareness. Clint was pulling them open, parting the zipper smoothly. “Clint?” he asked, his voice thick.

“Shut up, you need this.” That was the only warning that the archer gave before dropping his mouth onto Steve’s stiff cock.

“God!” The alpha’s hips jerked up off the couch, pumping into Clint’s mouth. The gamma moaned as he loosened his throat and took Steve’s cock without hesitation. “Fuck,” the alpha moaned, his head falling back against the cushions again.

Natasha was there, her green eyes bright with eagerness as she knelt on the couch next to him. Her hands caught his chin and hair, holding him still as she kissed him. Her tongue was soft and sweet as she kissed him senseless. Not quite senseless; he was still very aware of Clint’s mouth sucking on his cock, his head bobbing enthusiastically. Moaning around Natasha’ kiss, Steve laced his fingers into Clint’s hair, using the grip to guide his actions.

Bucky nipped lightly at his ear on the other side from Natasha. “Where do you want me?” That was so like his first gamma, to find out where Steve wanted him instead of presuming to know.

Steve caught Natasha’s chin lightly, pulling her away long enough to say, “Clint.”

The Winter Soldier grinned and went to the cabinet to get the lube. Steve looked down at his archer, who had slowed his ministrations long enough to met his gaze. There was eagerness and gratitude in his eyes and Steve tugged his hair to draw him up his body. He kissed Clint deeply, tasting himself and the archer and the pack on the other man’s lips. It reminded him of his new omega, and his blood sang for her, desperate to know her as he knew everyone else.

Clint eased away from him when Natasha straddled Steve’s lap. She’d taken off her clothes at some point and she expertly guided himself into her. As good as Clint had been, _this_ was what he needed: the closest physical approximation he could get of Vala. He was aware that Clint and Bucky were tangling together but his attention was solely on her.

The door opened and his omega came into the room, followed by their beta. Steve twisted enough to look over his shoulder but stayed where he was. Her green eyes swept around the room and took in the scene of his - _their_ pack cavorting in front of the ignored match. Sam was trying to warn him about something but Steve was having enough trouble staying on the couch. He _wanted_ to tackle his omega and draw her into the packsex. With effort, he remained where he was, both of his hands holding tightly to Natasha’s hips.

Vala walked forward and put her hands on his cheeks, looking down at him. She studied him and Natasha for a long moment; with her face upside down to Steve’s perspective it was hard to read her. Then she leaned down and kissed him.

Steve groaned with need and pleasure as her lips seared his skin, but he didn’t let go of Natasha. She didn’t mind; when Val released him, the female gamma leaned in and had her own taste of the omega, kissing her deeply. The blonde leaned in, clearly enjoying the embrace as much as Steve had enjoyed his.

Clint and Bucky slipped over, rubbing against Steve and Natasha as they crawled up on the couch. Vala kissed each of them in turn, the sight ramping up Steve’s arousal even more. He arched up into Natasha, who gave him a wry grin. She put her lips next to his ear and said, “Get up. I want to strip you.”

The second she was off of him, he stood, his clothes hanging half-open already. The red-headed woman pushed his jacket off his shoulders and opened the rest of his buttons. Steve glanced at Vala and found her kissing Sam. The sign of her acceptance of sexual touches from everyone in the pack excited the alpha further.

The omega unzipped the hoodie with a small smile, letting the garment fall to the floor. Her hands went to the back of her red dress and drew down the zipper slowly; Steve’s eyes were locked on the way the red fabric fell away from her back and sides, draping over Vala’s small hand holding it in place. The little bit of flesh revealed sent a shiver of excitement through him. Natasha slipped his shoes and socks off, nipping at the sensitive spots on his knees, then reached up and lowered his pants.

Under all the lust fuzzing his mind, Steve sensed something was wrong. It was too fast; not too long ago, Vala had been terrified of the bond. She’d been ready to break it and run. His hands caught Natasha’s before she could strip off his boxers. “Just a moment,” he murmured in a ragged voice.

Everyone paused, looking expectantly at him. “Vala, you know, you don’t have to do this,” Steve said. He couldn’t think of another reason she was racing into this. “We can wait until you’re ready.”

“But, I can _feel_ how much you need this,” she said softly, her green eyes downcast.

He almost went to her but knew that getting close was testing his limits. “My needs as an alpha are not your responsibility.” The confusion and doubt on her face at his words broke his heart for her. If the Razors did come for her, he’d have trouble not grinding them into dust for their treatment of her.

“You can tell any of us no, at any time.” Clint added.

“You’re a part of us now.” Natasha offered her hand over the back of the couch, smiling as Vala took it. “While Steve does need a good fuck right now, he’s going to get it one way or another. You don’t have to fill that because there are four others who are ready and willing to take care of him. We’re a family, and we’ll take care of you, too.”

“Like I said.” Sam put his hands on her shoulders. “Steve’s needs don’t come first just because of his gender.”

The alpha had thought her pretty since the moment the bond snapped into place, but the moment she understood and started to weep with relief, Steve found her beautiful. Moving around the couch, he gave her a big hug, and was soon joined by Sam and all of the gammas.

The pack stood together for a long time, just holding their omega, and beginning to heal her.


	7. Catch

His was in the hotel across the street from Stark’s castle. Loki waited as patiently as she could through the gamma’s farewell rituals to his friends. Finally they could exit the building and cross the street. The hotel was what passed for luxurious on Midgard and Loki noted the admiring stares she was getting. Phil held himself a little taller, a gamma’s natural reaction when on a gorgeous alpha’s arm.

The room was a small one on the twentieth floor and Loki felt a bit of dismay that this place was the start of her pack. It seemed like it should be somewhere grander, better. She was a prince of her realm, it’s once and brief King.

Those thoughts were forgotten when Phil turned to her, tugging his bowtie loose and taking off his jacket. “You wanted to talk about packs.”

“I do.” Loki sat down on the bed and leaned back on her hands, tilting her head. “I understand that most alphas don’t allow their gammas to have their own goals. I’m not threatened by anything you might desire to do outside of the pack.”

“Don’t you think that would reduce the time and energy I can give to a pack?” Phil asked curiously.

“Of course it does.” Loki crossed her legs, letting her high heel fall off her elevated foot. She reached down and rubbed the arch, wondering why Midgard women tolerated this painful footwear. “I don’t see why the pack shouldn’t expend their energy on your goals, too.”

Phil frowned and went to the tiny cold box, opening it and removing a dark bottle. “Can I get you a beer?” he asked, holding it up so she could see the paper glued to the front.

“No, thank you.” She shook her head and said, “I prefer harder drinks.”

“I see.” He opened it with a piece of metal and took a seat at the small table. Taking a drink, he studied her for a long moment. “I’m missing something here.”

“Oh?” It was the safest thing to say.

“You’re a beautiful alpha, you obviously have wealth.” Phil leaned forward. “You could have your pick of gammas. Why me?”

Loki allowed a smile to curl her lips. “Why wouldn’t I want a powerful gamma who has the strength to forswear other alphas?”

He grimaced wryly. “You like to chase?”

“Most alphas do,” the jotun said coyly.

“Yes but does the catch thrill you as much?” Phil asked bluntly.

This was the perfect time to lie but dishonesty within a pack was unacceptable. “I don’t know,” she admitted, “as I have never caught one before.”

There was a long silence. The human continued to study her, his expression somber. She remained silent, letting him drink and think. She could push, cajole, and offer endlessly, but the choice was going to be his. “There is a part of me that is very, very tempted.”

“And there is clearly a ‘but’ in there,” she said, unfazed. She wasn’t giving up any time soon.

“I’m just not sure it would work, Lori.” He set aside the empty bottle, reluctance in his eyes.

She pounced on that emotion. “You must be so lonely. Do you feel groundless without a pack?”

“Yes,” he said honestly. “I use my job to create a purpose in my life.”

“I’m not asking you to give that up.” Loki sat up straight, idly playing with her midnight black hair. That was not only true, but it was Asgardian custom. Migardians might believe that subsuming all of the individual’s goals and desires into the pack's were better, but Loki had seen the freedom and strength that came from shared goals. “I would prefer if you had something else precious to you.”

“That is an odd sentiment, which makes me think you’re Asgardian.” His comment was delivered casually as he watched her reaction closely.

Centuries of trickery and control allowed her to merely stiffen. “Well,” she purred, kicking off her other shoe and rising to her feet, “what an odd assumption to make.”

“I’ve had extended discussions with members of Thor’s pack, particularly his gammas. I was curious.” Phil remained seated though she could see a hint of wariness in his carriage. “They explained to me that Asgardian packs don’t force the cohesiveness that our packs do. They don’t require that a gamma give up all other obligations. In fact, Odin’s gamma Heimdall has a very important duty that isn’t the safety of the pack but of the realm. Does Thor know you’re here?”

“Of course not.” Loki hesitated and turned her voice soft before asking, “Are you going to tell him?”

“Is it his business?” The fascinating mortal didn’t seem frightened to be with a strange Asgardian, and Loki judged that he didn’t know _which_ Asgardian he spoke to. Otherwise, he might have tried to preemptively attack the jotun.

“He would feel it was so,” Loki said with a shrug, crossing her arms under her breasts. “However, choosing a pack is a very private matter.”

“Here’s the big question,” Phil said. “Why a mortal?”

Loki smiled but made no effort to hide the wry hurt in her voice. “I’ve found it difficult to find packmates that suit me. Thor had his gammas and betas for centuries, yet needed to come to Midgard to find his omega. After weighing my options, I decided that this would be the place I found my pack as well.”

“Am I the first you’ve approached?” he asked.

“No. I asked a beta to join me, but she declined until I had my gammas.” Loki shrugged. “Getting two gammas became my next step.”

“Ah.” Phil was quiet for a long moment. “I’m going to be blunt. Were you trying to steal Thor’s gamma? The dark-haired one?”

“Only for a moment.” Loki tried to smile but the old pain of betrayal didn’t allow for it. “I thought he would be mine, once.”

“I’m sorry.” The mortal shook his head. “I know that doesn’t feel good. I tried to form with a pack, many years ago, before my current job. The bond didn’t take. The pack elected to break apart. I lost all of them, one by one, to other alphas and betas and gammas.”

Loki stepped in front of him, her fingers trailing down his chest. “Try again with me. Let my pack erase your sorrow.”

“That’s a bad reason to pack up-”

“Then do it because I want you, and you want me.” She breathed the last against his lips, just before she kissed him.

The mortal was a wonderful kisser, and Loki knew her own skills were, well, god-like. Loki wrapped her hands around the man’s shoulders and squeezed lightly, feeling the hard slope of his muscles. It had been a while since she’d taken a male lover and she was finding the reminder of what they felt like to be enticing. Hogan had whetted her appetite, but he belonged to Thor now.

Phil’s eyebrows rose and he grinned slightly. “Well,” he said as he set his bottle down on the small table, “you are making a persuasive argument.”

“Let me sweeten it further.” She kissed him again, pressing her soft female form into his harder one. He groaned in the back of his throat softly as she slipped her hands under his jacket, her fingers wiggling under the edge of his pants.

He caught her hair and pulled until she released his lips. “This is not an agreement to bond.”

“No,” she whispered, “this is me showing what you can have for the rest of your life.”

Phil groaned as she tugged open his belt buckle and unthreaded it, snapping the long piece of leather loose with a sharp tug. “Are you a typical gamma in your bedroom tastes?” she murmured, toying with the strip.

“Do I conform to my partner’s tastes?” he asked breathlessly. When she nodded, he said hoarsely, “Yes.”

Loki looped the belt around her hands and hooked it over his neck. “My desires do not always run thusly,” she told him with a firm tug on the belt, “but I had gentle this morning and I do not want to be gentle now. Is this acceptable to you?”

His blue eyes studied hers. “Mostly.”

“What will you say when you need me to stop?” she asked, her voice a warm purr.

“Cavalry,” he murmured.

“Cavalry,” she repeated, testing the word to be sure she knew it. She kissed him hard, still holding him close with the belt, and then turned and pushed him against the wall. He threw his hands out to brace himself but made no move to stop her when she turned him to face it. With sharp motions, she stripped the jacket and his shirt off, hugging him tight to reach the buttons. He remained leaning against the wall, moving only enough to help her get his clothing off.

When she reached around again and undid his pants, she felt the catch in his breathing. “Spread your legs,” she ordered and he did. She released the pants, admiring the way they fell down waist and caught at his hips. The upper edge of his smallclothes were visible, but she forced herself to not touch them. Instead, she reached up and raked her nails lightly down his back. He writhed but didn’t object and she inched her fingertips under his undergarment to score the top of his ass as well. Her path let four pink lines down his pale flesh and she felt a surge of lust. It was a marking instinct, plain and simple, and Loki wondered if her gamma would let her bruise his flesh as she had done with Hogun.

 _He’s not yours, yet. Not in his mind_ , she reminded herself. She rubbed her hands up his back, letting her soft touch ease the sting of her nails. With a sigh that blew warm air across his skin and drew a shudder out of him, she licked up the length of one of those weals. He groaned and leaned toward her, and she planted a hand between his shoulder blades and pushed him back against the wall. “Hold,” she commanded, leaving her hand in place until he relaxed again.

Loki rubbed and squeezed her way back down his back until she reached his waistband. Untold numbers of gamma lovers before him had informed her where and how to touch him. It must have seemed like magic to him, for her to arouse him so quickly and completely. Part of it was simply that gammas felt best when controlled by an alpha. While it varied from person to person, she’d never met a gamma who didn’t turn to putty when she took control of their encounter.

Her fingers lingered at his elastic band for a moment before following that barrier of cloth around to his front. When she pressed herself against him, she could hear his rapid breathing and pounding heart.

She slipped under the smallclothes, her nails tickling the sensitive skin of his groin on her path down to his public hair. She felt through the mass of curling hair to wrap her hands around the base of his cock, smiling when she found it was already erect. He moaned, but so softly she only heard it through the ear pressed to his back. With deliberate slowness, she stroked up his hard length once.

“Do you have any aids?” she asked, knowing that he did. As the sterile gender, gammas were about pure pleasure in the bedroom. He nodded quickly and she kissed his shoulder before stepping back. “Show me.”

He went to his cloth box where he kept his clothing, one hand holding up his pants. He flipped through the fabric inside and quickly pulled out a tube and a slim wand with small beads on it. The gamma set them on the bed and then dropped to one knee, waiting.


	8. ...and Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello beautiful readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter; we also launched our [website](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/) for our original work, Thirteen, and our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h)! Please check them out! :)

Loki smiled at the assumption of the ready position. He would hold it for as long as she wanted; that was the way the game was played. She circled the kneeling gamma, her fingers trailing through his short hair. He turned his head into her caress and she leaned down to kiss him in reward. “Get on the bed, on your knees,” she told him.

He scrambled into place and she took a few moments to pull off his shoes and socks. Taking the edge of his bowtie, she dragged it up the bottom of his foot. Phil shook with restrained laughter, and she asked, “Did you have something to say?”

“Permission to laugh?” he managed to say with only a minor squeak.

“Denied,” she said, chuckling at his moan. She swatted his clothed ass lightly, waiting for him to say _Cavalry_. He didn’t, and she mentally added spanking to the possibilities.

His pants were held in place only because Phil still had a hand on them, and Loki reached up and pulled them off the curve of his ass. They settled around his knees, and she didn’t bother to remove them any further. Only his smallclothes remained, and she took her time as she slipped her fingers under them and pulled them down too. They caught on his cock, and she reached around him to free it. He barely choked back a groan.

With him on display for her, Loki stopped to study him for a moment. His strong body was well-shaped, firm but not painfully so. She trailed a hand over his ass, smiling as he clenched subtly and relaxed. Picking up the lube, she figured out how to open the packet and smeared a dollop on her pinky.

Carefully, she ran her finger around his tight ring, preparing him for the next step. He trembled with barely concealed eagerness and eased that finger into him. He hissed at the sensation but didn’t call out his word. “No sound,” Loki repeated, lightly spanking him once in punishment. “Tell me to stop it if hurts.”

“That wasn’t a hurt noise, ma’am,” he told her softly.

“Ah,” she purred, even as she spanked him again. Her finger was buried in his ass and she carefully wiggling, both to find his points of pleasure and to test his ability to obey when an alpha took command in the bedroom.

She heard his breathing hitch but that was all. He would tell her to stop, if she did something he didn’t like. She would have to trust him to give his word. Withdrawing her finger, she lubed up the ring finger and slipped both fingers past the tight muscles that ringed his entrance. She worked her digits in and out for a while, building his excitement and preparing him.

She gave him a break before introducing the toy, pulling her fingers out of him and taking several moments to lube the anal wand. The beads varied in diameter all the way up; normally she would have prepared a lover with three full fingers, but none of the spheres were larger around than her two fingers.

He shivered when she teased the slit of his ass with a bead; he shuddered when she pressed the first globe against his entrance. “You may tell me if this is enjoyable,” she allowed, sliding the bit of wand between the two beads back and forth in his ass.

“Oh yes, yes, it is,” he panted, his hands clutching the sheets. “Yes, thank you, ma’am.”

“You’re welcome,” Loki purred with pleasure. She reached between his legs and started to play with his balls, stroking them and rolling them in her hand. Occasionally, she inched forward enough to tease the base of his cock with her finger, and when she did, she slipped the next bead into him.

When the short wand was sheathed in him, Loki started to ease it fully in and out. She gave it a little nudge downward at _just_ the right spot, and was pleased to hear his near-whine, quickly choked back. “You may tell me if that’s the best spot.”

“Close, ma’am. A little deeper.” The words tumbled gasping through Phil’s lips, and the desperate desire in his voice aroused Loki even more. With a delicate twist of her wrist, she followed his instructions, watching as he gasped and trembled.

Loki drove him right to the edge of orgasm and stopped, drawing a whine from him. “Now, now,” she purred, “have patience and you’ll be rewarded.”

His breath catching with quick pants, he nodded, and Loki started to build him up again. There was something wrong, she realized as she peaked him again and pulled him down. The shakes rocking his body didn’t seem completely sexy, and she was about to check in when he gasped, “Cavalry.”

Loki froze for a second, then carefully removed the toy from his ass. Stepping back, she hovered near the bed, careful not to touch him. “What should I do?” she asked softly.

Phil pushed himself upright, shaking a little. “Help me off the bed,” he said breathlessly, and Loki moved to assist him, relieved that he wasn’t cringing away from her touch. Together, he got on his feet, his pants and underwear back in place. “I thought I had that under control. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry that you stopped me.” Loki reached out to touch him and stopped herself. “I was about to ask if you were well.”

“My first alpha. He used to practice orgasm denial.” Phil sat down on the bed and leaned against her. Loki put her arms around him, offering what comfort she had. “One night, I used my safe word and he didn’t stop. I don’t know what happened here. I’ve had therapy. Hell, I’ve had other partners use it on me and it didn’t bother me.”

“Have any other alphas used it on you?” Loki asked gently.

Phil slowly shook his head. “No, and that’s the problem. I didn’t want to admit it, but that’s right.”

She rubbed his shoulders and asked, “What do you want to do?”

“I want to keep going.” He looked up at her. “I want to come.”

“Then I think it’s time for a blow job.” Loki grinned at the eager look he tried to hide.

“I think that’s a great idea.” He returned her smile, pleasure returning slowly to his expression.

Together, they stripped naked and Phil piled pillows until he could sit comfortably against the headboard. He had already recovered from the bad moment and the proof of that was his erect cock. Loki licked her lips as she stared at it, making a show out of removing her clothes.

She slid gracefully onto the bed, slipping between his knees. He watched her crawl up to him, pausing to kiss his knees and thighs. Her tongue lapped as his skin as she drew ever nearer to his cock, filling her mouth with the taste of him. His breath hitched as her nose brushed his groin, his public hair tickling her cheeks.

Loki kissed the base of his cock before licking up the length of it. At the head, she sucked it into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the thick flare of skin. Her head bobbed slowly, taking his shaft into her mouth. He groaned, his fingers tangling into her hair and caressing her scalp. Loki hummed in appreciation as she started sucking him off in earnest.

For a long moment, the gamma kept his pleasure silent, but Loki knew what she was doing, and soon Phil groaned aloud. His endless chorus of pleasure made the alpha wetter and more ready, and she twisted to the side, her fingers of one hand sliding under her hip to stroke her clit.

“Let me see,” the gamma rasped, nearly insensate with pleasure.

 _A challenge._ Without stopping her suction on his cock, Loki inched her body around the bed until she was able to splay her legs toward him. It left her bent over his leg awkwardly, but she was willing to endure a bit of discomfort for her gamma’s enjoyment. Her head continued to move in a slow, steady motion as she played with the base of his shaft and her fingers dug into her own pussy. She heard Phil’s breathing increase as she fucked herself with her fingers and him with her mouth.

“You are beautiful,” he whispered, and her heart squeezed with joy. “Just like this, you’re beautiful.” He wasn’t talking about her body but about her willingness to put aside her expectations of the evening for what he needed. She was caring for him as a lover, not as an alpha.

He reached out hesitantly and brushed his hand over her knee. When she didn’t protest, he slid his hand down her thigh. Her soft moan goaded him to act further, and his fingers slid into her dark thatch of hair. He displaced her hand, his thicker fingers dipping into her slit and stroking her.

With her attention no longer diverted, Loki returned her full focus to his cock. She slid him and out of her mouth, moving her slick fingers to his ass. He was still wet with the lube and she eased two fingers into him without a problem. His motions on her faltered for a moment, and his breathing caught, but he quickly recovered.

“I’m going to come soon,” he whispered, his voice taut with need. “Oh, god, Lori, you’re amazing.”

Smiling to herself, she took his cock as deeply inside her mouth as she could, while massaging his prostate and playing with his balls. The complex maneuvering paid off; she heard him trying to talk but ecstasy overtook him first and she felt him starting to come. Changing the angle of her head slightly, she began to suck his seed down, swallowing it while her fingers continued their pleasurable assault.

When she had finally drawn all the tension from his body and he went limp against the bed, panting, she eased herself away from him and sat up. His blue eyes flicked to her, watching her as he struggled to regain his senses. “That was the best sex I’ve ever had,” he finally gasped, shaking his head in disbelief. He held out a hand to her.

Grinning, she crawled across the bed and snuggled against him. Her head fit on his shoulder, and she hooked a leg over his. Phil curled an arm around her, and they lay in blissful silence for a time. Finally, he nudged her gently. “It’s your turn, I think.”

“Yes, it is,” she said, looking up at him, “but nothing would make me happier than you agreeing to be in my pack.”

“You are like a bulldog,” he growled, but he was smiling. “I can’t commit to you, I’ve told you. At least not yet.”

“Then name one thing I can do to tip the odds in my favor,” Loki murmured, stretching up to kiss him.

“Stop asking.” He was smiling as he dug his hand into her hair.

 “Then how will I know when you decide to become my gamma?” She murmured the question against his lips before nipping at his chin.

He pulled her into his lap and his hands roamed down her body. “I’ll come to you and tell you,” he promised. “You’ll be the first to know, after me.”

Loki turned and straddled his legs, sitting back far enough that she could wrap her hands around his cock. “I’d better,” she mock-threatened, gently stroking his slowly-hardening length. “I want you, Phil. I want your strength and your loyalty.”

He didn’t reply; he wouldn’t give her false hope or lie. Instead, he sat up and pulled her onto her knees. Positioning her body over his cock, he guided her down onto him. Loki moaned as he speared deep into her pussy while he nuzzled her breasts. He rocked her back and forth, creating a gentle friction of pleasure that steadily built. When he leaned her back and stroked her clit with his thumb, she was ready to come. It only took a few expert flicks of his finger to bring her over the edge. “You’re not the only one who knows a few things,” he whispered into her hair, holding her as she shuddered and gasped through her climax.

“So I see,” she murmured, tenderly brushing her fingertips over his cheeks. It was just one more reason she wanted him in her pack, and she would have him, whatever it took.


	9. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby got me up at 4 AM, so the chapter's up early! *yawn*
> 
> *edit* So, 4 AM is a bad time to post since I end up putting up the previous week's post again. *facepalm* After some nappage and nice note from one of the readers, here is Chapter 9!
> 
> Also, please don't forget to check out our original work: [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/thirteen/)!

The St. Louis Arch shone brightly in the mid-afternoon sun. From a distance, it towered over buildings but seemed somehow delicate; up close, it overwhelmed a human watcher with its sheer presence. A smattering of tourists hovered on the grassy hill just below it, their attention on the graceful loop of the structure. Most hurried on to the gift shop, located underneath the monument. The main draw of the store was it’s climate controlled air and access to the interior of the Arch. Beyond the building, the murky waters of the Mississippi flowed endlessly south.

A low rumble filled the air and those standing on the grass outside felt a tremor. Inside the shop, curios rattled and clattered on their shelves. Nervously, the attendants began to clear the building while the manager started to work on getting the people in the lifts and at the top of the Arch down.

Lightning crackled along the exterior of the structure, playing over the stainless steel plates. “Thor?” someone in the watching crowd asked hopefully. Some people started to run away; others pulled out their cell phones. With a boom, the inner arc of the structure filled with lightning for a second, only to be washed over with a blaze of bright light. For a handful of seconds, the half-oval glowed brighter than the sun, forcing people to turn away from it. Then it disappeared suddenly, leaving behind a tall figure.

The new arrival stepped out from beneath the Arch, covered in metal and leather from head to toe. The white plate-and-scale armor was ornately wrought and gleamed in the sunlight with green accents from the leather that could be seen at the joints and along the legs. The crested helm, sporting the same deep green hue as the leather in the feathers that made up the crest, turned from side to side, taking in the gaping tourists and frightened families. The figure’s hands rested lightly but ready on the hilts of two swords strapped to their waist.

“Hvar er ég?” the armored stranger demanded of the crowd. At the looks of confusion from those close enough to hear, the person gave a disgruntled sigh and reached up, popping the buckles that held the helmet closed around their neck. A long braid of deep forest green hair fell from the helmet as it was lifted up, coming to rest against the sunkissed skin along the back of her neck; green eyes of the same shade blinked in the sunlight. She shook her head, the tips of her long pointed ears brushing the sides of her hair, and she tried again. “Hv...mmm...na...whe-where am...na...I?” The words came haltingly and exotically accented, but the hesitation made her seem less imposing. “Where am I?” she asked again, the words smoother as she began to remember them.

There was long silence from the watching crowd. Finally, a teenage girl stepped forward, her e-reader clutched in her hand. “Uh, you’re in St. Louis.” She swallowed hard, her gamma-scent thick with nervousness, and asked, “Are you from Asgard?”

The green-haired woman made a disgusted face and shook her head. “No, I am not one of _them_. I was born in Sedona, in Arizona.”

“Uh . . .” The girl looked uncertain. “Sedona, Arizona in Asgard? Sorry, you just have--” She waved her hands around her own hair and ears.

"My master," she stopped, gripping her helmet tightly in her hands, then began again. "My _former_ master gave me _rogn_ _vin_. I was born human. On Earth." Her eyes narrowed at the girl, a suspicion coiling in her mind. "How do you know about Asgard?"

“Because of Thor.” The girl gave her a bright smile and whipped out a small device. Though the visitor didn’t recognize a cell phone, she understood it was some sort of computer when the girl turned it and showed her a picture of an armored blond man holding a hammer. “He’s the Prince of Asg-”

Her voice was cut off by the sound of choppers. The visitor watched as the girl peered up at them. “That’s SHIELD,” she said, her voice uneasy.

The woman's hands had instantly gone to the hilts of her swords at the unfamiliar and loud sound. "What do you mean by 'shield'?" she demanded, tense and imposing once again.

“They’re a government agency that deals with, well, the odd.” The young gamma shrugged. “They used to be secret but then they were outed by some of their agents in order to force the moles within their organization to get out.”

The stranger’s hands clenched and unclenched as she debated what to do. Her mother had always been distrustful of the government, but then her mother had also sold her into slavery, so that was more a point in favor of this 'shield'. She watched the helicopters warily, but did not yet draw her blades.

They set down and the people pulled back further, all save the teenaged gamma whom watched with excitement and wariness. An older man disembarked and walked toward them wearing a suit. At first he seemed unimposing, but he had a strong sense of presence. “Hello,” he said casually, the wind blowing his clothing and sending the scent of a healthy gamma to her nose. “I’m Agent Coulson with SHIELD. May I have your name and place of origin?”

"I am called Ylva," she said, giving the agent a practiced bow. “I was born here. On Earth. I was sold to the Goblin Market and then later bought by a lord of the Ljósálfur. I escaped.” She glanced around at the crowds that had been moved back behind the lines of SHIELD agents, then back to Agent Coulson. “I came home.”

“Welcome back.” He smiled at her but he was still cautious. A sob story like that was the best way to fool the unwary. “If you’ll come this way, we have more questi--”

“Hey, just a second.” The teenaged gamma interposed herself between the agent and Ylva, her arms extended protectively. Phil wondered if she was protective because of the scent of omega coming from the off-worlder, or if the girl was always like this. “What are you going to do with her?”

“I’m going to take her to a secure facility where we can examine her medically, determine how she got here, and assess her needs.” Phil smiled at the wary woman. “We mean you no harm.”

“Does she get a say?” Ylva’s defender narrowed her eyes at him.

 _God save me from youthful gammas._ “Of course. I am going to recommend that you come with us strongly, Ylva.” He met her green eyes with unwavering conviction. “I won’t allow harm to come to you, and I can’t guarantee that out here.”

 "I spent half a decade planning my escape from Alfhiem," she said flatly, her hands once again on her swords. "Why would I then willingly walk back into captivity? As for any that think me easy prey, that is their foolish mistake."

“It’s not captivity, it’s protection.” Phil crossed his arms as he pointed out, “The world has changed in the last five years. We’d help you acclimatize and you’d be free to leave when you were done.” That was mostly true; he was sure that his superiors would have some words for letting her go before they were comfortable but he’d be damned if he let them lock up an omega without a compelling reason. “We’re not gaolers, Ylva. We’re here to help.”

She glanced at the young gamma's pocket computer, wondering just how much might have changed in her absence - which had been quite a bit longer than the agent thought. Pride and fear agreed on one thing, though. "I can learn on my own," she said firmly. "If you speak truly, then I choose to be free _now_."

“Commendable.” Lori’s voice snapped Phil’s head around and he stared at the alpha in shock. She wore a green pantsuit today instead of the dress, but it was just as flattering as the last outfit he’d seen on her. She ignored him, focusing on Ylva. “Perhaps I can offer a middle ground - the hospitality of my abode. From there, Phil could check on you and offer aid.”

“Why are you here?” Phil asked her, recovering from his shock.

“I came to confirm what Ylva is.” Lori smiled gently at the woman. “The taking of humans to create half-elves is an old custom, and one long-banned by Odin. The taking of slaves even more so. Which lord of the Ljósálfur bound you?”

"Ovidr, Graced of the Stone and Lord of Askatrébæ." The name and titles flowed from her with the ease of long practice. She watched the newcomer warily, but seemed more relaxed with her than she was with Phil.

“Phil, you should tell Thor, to have him inform Odin.” Lori was starting to look angry. “If there is one slave, there will be more - do I assume that right?” At Ylva’s nod, she scowled. “The All-Father will deal with him. In the meantime, I offer my home as a middle ground.”

“I see.” Phil looked less than amused. “Well, Ylva, you’re not a prisoner. It’s your choice.” He didn’t think Thor would take it well if they started to imprison anyone from the other realms.

Ylva hesitated. Lori had offered hospitality, but she was still a stranger. Instead of answering Phil, she said, “Ovidr is not the only one. There are at least several dozen estates within the mistlands; probably more. The Arena can accommodate hundreds of spectators, and most of them were usually Ljósálfur. Ovidr owned hundreds of slaves. Some of them were taken as I was, but most were bred within the mists, on one estate or another.”

 Lori’s jaw tightened sharply.“Is Freyr aware of this insult to the All-Father?”

The half elf shook her head. "I have heard him mentioned, but only to complain of him and call him a fool." The leather of her armor creaked softly as she shifted her weight. "I would accept your hospitality, mistress, but I fear that even with the precautions I took, Lord Ovidr will find me. He will not take kindly to those who shelter me and he is a formidable sorcerer of eons of experience. I would not place you in such danger without speaking clearly and true of it."

“Thank you for that, but I’m no easy prey myself.” The alpha smiled at her and Phil wondered once more who this woman was. “If you come with me, you will be protected.”

“SHIELD will provide a protective detail as well, if you’d like.” Phil tried to regain control of the situation, but he was being pitted against an alpha who had already engaged him in a contest of wills and nearly won. There were times he wasn’t sure if she had won, and he was just wasting time until he admitted that he’d join her pack.

Ylva’s eyes flickered over the agent, taking in his cloth suit and the gun holster peeking out from beneath his jacket. She shook her head, her tone sad but resolute. “A human guard would simply be slaughtered, or worse, taken as a trophy of the hunt back to the mistlands as a new slave. Forged iron _can_ hurt them, but the bullet must actually _hit_ them. I have seen them move when battle-lust is in them. There would not be time.”

“You’ve never seen SHIELD agents fight,” Phil stated confidently. “We’ve handled some situations that humans wouldn’t be able to deal with effectively. Hawkeye or the Black Widow would be more than adequate security. I might even be able to get Captain America himself to do it.”

Loki started to make her usual scathing remark, but this was _her_ gamma, at least in her own mind. “I do admit that the heroes of Midgard are valiant. I can defend her as well.”

The green-haired woman blinked and shrugged at Phil. “I have no idea who those people are.”

Phil frowned and started to ask a question only to stop himself. “I’d like to talk to you at length about that, Ylva, but first we should see you to a safe place. Are you staying with Lori?”

She studied the other woman coolly for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I accept your offer of hospitality, Mistress Lori.”

“Very good.” Lori held out her hands to both of them, suppressing a grin of mischievousness. Phil hesitated but took it; Ylva put her small hand in Lori’s confidently. Still grinning, she _pulled_ them along with her as she stepped back into a secret passage.


	10. Trust Issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update, I got to sleep in today! :D
> 
> Please don't forget to check out our original story, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/thirteen/)! We're up to chapter 5 and we update Mondays and Fridays!

It was typical of mortals to not understand what they had. There were currents of power that circled Midgard, and one could travel their ways if one knew the paths. Loki had spent her exile on this realm learning these hidden ways.

Loki pulled their bodies through the lines of power, bringing them out in the mountains. Phil stumbled and cursed, looking around. “Where are we?” he asked, digging into his jacket pocket.

“My home.” Loki pointed at the building in front of them. It was an old barn in truth but she had covered its facade with an illusion of strong-hewn timbers and a high, sloping roof. The exterior looked like a modern Midgardian reconstruction of a Viking hall. It reminded her strongly of the summer cottage Frigga used to take her to when Odin and Thor were off hunting.

“Where is your home?” Ylva asked sharply. She was clearly not pleased at their mode of travel and her stance vibrated with barely contained violence - and fear.

“In Colorado, far from innocents who would be harmed by Ovidr.” Loki smiled at her, once again curious at how she escaped and angry on the omega’s behalf.

“I need to make a call.” Phil appeared annoyed; frowning, he turned and walked away from the two of them, speaking into his phone.

“I didn’t think that would upset you so much.” Loki bowed slightly. “My apologies.”

Ylva nodded in acknowledgement of the expression of regret. “The Ljósálfur would use such magics to bring new slaves to the mistlands and to ensure that none of us knew how each of the estates connected or of any place that might penetrate past the mists themselves.”

Loki’s eyes narrowed as she considered that statement. “If they are using the paths to come and go to Midgard, perhaps I can catch them at it. Even better, if I can discern how they are doing it, I may be able to cut them off. Was it exactly as I just did, or something else?”

“Else. They do not have to touch you, only to have you walk into a ritual ring. Then you are moved and it feels much like you have done. Usually the rings are made from plants they cause to grow or stones they raise from beneath the earth.” Ylva thought for a moment, then added, “Your way is faster, but theirs can convey as many as pass through the ring while the Ljósálfur hold it open.”

“I see. I’ll need to consult--” Loki cut off her next words; not everyone would be able to claim access to the Archives. Technically speaking, she didn’t have access to the records built so carefully by the Aesir either, but forbidding a place only made it more tantalizing. “Some records.”

Phil walked back, still looking angry. “Shall we go inside and talk? Or do you need some time, Ylva?”

The former human nodded, gesturing toward Lori to lead them in. "If we are invited in."

The two of them looked expectantly to Loki, who became aware of their scrutiny. “Yes, of course,” she said graciously, turning toward the house. The interior was dark but cozy, the main room being a wide open space with chairs and couches giving way to a shining kitchen. “I’m afraid I’m a bit low on food but I can get whatever you need,” Loki said, gliding over to a wall scone and turning it on with a twist of a knob.

"Thank you. Perhaps after Agent Coulson has asked his questions?" She let the human take the strategic seat, back to a wall with all entrances and exits easily viewable, but she did choose an armless chair so her swords could remain close to hand. Ylva trusted the covenant of hospitality, but experience had taught her to be prepared regardless.

“Thank you. I appreciate your time.” He nodded to her. “What is your full birth name?”

Ylva began to answer the question, then asked her own instead. “Why?”

“You said you came from Earth. I’d like to confirm this.” Phil studied her for a second. “It was just a question, and not that unreasonable of one.”

“I don’t know if I have any official birth records. My mother had no pack and then had an affair with a married man. She blackmailed my father, so she never had a job. We moved around a lot. I didn’t go to school. My mother said she wasn’t going to publicly embarrass herself every day by sending me.” She tried to keep her words steady, neutral, but the undercurrent of bitterness gave them sharp edges. “Eventually, my father decided that it was too expensive to keep his secret anymore. He stopped paying and told my mother to bring me to him. She told me that was where we were going. Instead she found the Goblin Market and sold me for a wish.”

“Your mother.” Phil had gone still as she’d talked. “Your mother sold you for a _wish_?”

“I was told it was a high price for a female human child and that I should feel proud a hobgoblin would pay such for me,” she elaborated flatly.

“I’d really like her name.” The agent’s tight grin made it clear that he was ready to arrest her this second.

“I’d really like her head.” The words growled out of Ylva before she could stop them and she flushed darkly at her slip.

Phil stared at her for a long beat. “I think we all would.”

“I don’t want her head.” Loki smiled grimly when they stared at her. “I’d rather have her heart.”

The half-elf scoffed. “She spent eight years proving she doesn’t have one.”

“If you’re serious about finding her, I’ll need that name.” Phil looked grim. “You can certainly look on your own, but I have greater resources and I can steer the police away from you.”

She blinked at him, startled. “Aren’t you. . .?” She glanced at Lori to see the other woman’s reaction to the agent’s statement.

Loki looked pleased at _her_ gamma’s statement. Phil folded his hands and said, “Ylva, if your mother knows how to travel across realms and has sold her own daughter into slavery to an alien species, I have no clue what else she’s capable of - or what she’s done since she hurt you.”

“She cannot travel on her own. We took a trod to the Market. And yes, she is a monster.” She considered for a moment, then asked directly, “You will not prevent me from taking my vengeance, even though it break the law of the land?”

“I’d like you to not,” Phil said, locking his eyes with hers. “But to be completely honest, if she’s as dangerous as I fear, that’s what would happen to her eventually if SHIELD took her in. We don’t have the facilities to detain her safely at this time, and last time we tried to hold a dangerous criminal, several agents died.”

“I did not ask what you would like, I asked what you would do,” she held his gaze, her will a match for his despite being an omega.

Phil sighed and took a seat. “That’s going to depend on if you do this quietly or loudly. I’m given some leeway by my superiors to deal with matters - or not - as I see fit. If you draw attention to yourself, if her body is found, then I have to find you myself. I don’t want to do that.”

“Why?” Loki asked quickly.

“Because I don’t want to lock an omega up for taking the justice due her.” Phil’s eyes didn’t leave Ylva.

“I am thorough and patient and this is a family matter. I will not leave a mess for others to clean up.” The calm cadence of her words was belied by the glint in her eyes.

“If you give me her name, I’d be willing to help track her.” Phil was a persistent man. “Get you started on your way.”

She regarded Phil silently for a moment, then turned to Lori. “Would you trust him in this? To help you right the greatest wrong ever done you, when he could also easily destroy your only chance?”

Loki smiled fondly at him. “I have offered him a position in my pack,” she said. “Though he hadn’t accepted, I believe that should demonstrate the level of trust I have in his character.”

She hesitated a moment longer. “Mandrie Narre. Her name is Mandrie Narre.”

“Give me five minutes.” Phil rose and walked outside again, pulling out his phone.

Loki turned to the omega, studying her for a second. It was tempting to decide that this would be the one for her pack, but she didn’t really know Ylva. What she’d seen thus far, she really liked, but it wasn’t quite enough yet. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”

Ylva had tensed when he left, suspicion clearly written on her face. She forced herself to remain sitting, relaxing each muscle one at a time. Her stomach grumbled at Lori’s question, putting in it’s own bid before she could refuse. She flushed and glanced away. “Yes, please.” She watched as Lori stood up and made her way to the kitchen and decided to risk a more personal question. “You are not human, correct?”

“I am Aesir, by adoption.” Loki could have left off the last two words but _if_ Ylva was to become her omega, then she needed to be honest with her. _I need to tell Phil soon, too._ Mentally she sighed, _It was much easier to simply be the prankster._ “What would you like to have?” she asked, shaking off her thoughts.

“Mmm, I do not know the English word for it. _Ydromellum_. “ She spoke the word with a Ljósálfur accent. “By adoption? Are you mortal, then?”

“No, I’m not mortal.” Loki smiled enigmatically and said, “I have mead but not _ydromellum_. Or at least, I don’t have it here.” She turned to the cabinets and started to look for glasses.

“Mead would be fine, thank you.” She pursed her lips, thinking, but pressed on with her questions. “Then why would invite a mortal to join your pack?”

Loki gave her a considering look as she went to the cold box and pulled out a bottle. She’d been hiding here long enough to acquire things such as glasses and bottles of real mead, so they only required a thin veil of illusion to serve her purpose. Realizing she was delaying answering the half-elf, she began to pour as she spoke. “May I have your discretion in exchange for my answer?”

Ylva dipped her head in a nod. “You have my word.”

“Among the Asgard, I am poorly received. Among my birth people, I find myself unimpressed. Prince Thor has filled his pack with mortals, so why not me?” She handed Ylva a glass. “In short, my options are limited, and yet, I’m not displeased with the choices Midgard offers.”

She took the drink, sipping at it. “It seems cruel.” At Lori’s raised brow, she elaborated, “Not to the mortal. They gain an alpha that will, for them, always be strong, young, attractive. It seems cruel for you. To give your heart to packmates that will die long before you even begin to age. You will be there for all of their lives, but they cannot be there for all of yours.” Her eyes drifted over the room as she spoke, her expression melancholy.

“That is true.” Loki swallowed tightly against the thought of losing her pack to old age. “Yet I must have a pack, and sooner rather than later.”

“Why?” Her attention returned the otherworldly woman in full force. “What you _have_ that mortals do not is time.”

Loki sighed. “Because in my male form, I’m Prince Loki, once King of Asgard, and hopefully the future king again. I cannot take the throne without a closed pack.”

She blinked in surprise. “Oh.” After a moment of her blank look. Loki realized that there _was_ actually someone in the Nine Realms that had no idea who she was.

She stared at Ylva in surprise then laughed softly. “Oh, I’m a very bad person by all accounts, but there are three sides to every truth.”

“Yours, theirs, and the truth,” Ylva guessed.

“I have done ill deeds in the defense of my kingdom, and am reviled for it.” Loki sighed, her gaze distant. “And for a time, I fell under the magical control of a mad titan. He used me to attempt to invade earth, and when I did, many died. Including Agent Coulson.”

It took her a moment to put the names together and then she glanced to where the man had left to make his call. “He seems to have recovered,” she noted drily.

“Indeed. You might understand why I would be interested in a gamma who can defy death,” Loki noted with similar dryness.

“Is he still actually a mortal, then?” Ylva mused on the question, one hand unconsciously tucking a stray strand of hair behind her tapered ear. “Is he still human?”


	11. What Omegas Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers, I apologize for our unexplained absence on Wednesday! I (Malachite) was out of town and while I took my tablet to be able to update, I had computer issues and couldn't. :( So! Here's a Halloween update, and next week we'll update Tuesday and Wednesday as a thanks for your patience and understanding! :)

The door opened and Phil walked back inside the room. “We have a problem, Ylva. Your mother is the public paramour of a powerful omega, Justin Hammer.”

Ylva’s expression darkened and she pushed up from the chair, beginning to pace. “This man, what kind of power does he have? There will be a way around him. There must be!”

“He’s got money, which is the kind of power I can do little against.” Phil looked furious as he walked over to the counter. Wordlessly, Loki poured him a glass, which he took. “That’s in addition to whatever resources your mother has.”

“She’ll have whatever she wished for. _Exactly_ what she wished for in whatever way will also make the having of it cruel. Goblin deals are ever thus. Never truly a fair trade and always with a twisted catch." Ylva grimaced, gripping the hilts of her swords tight. "Somewhere in the goblin's curse there must be a weakness to her. I will find it!" she vowed fiercely.

“We can find it.” Loki smiled grimly. She had little else to do until she found her second gamma. “If you would like further help.”

The half-elf gave her a startled, grateful look and then smiled genuinely. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually _wanted_ to smile and the expression made her inhuman appearance wondrously beautiful. Tension and stress seemed to slake off her and she turned her head away as her eyes began to shine. "Thank you, both of you. You've shown me more kindness in an hour than I've known in the rest of my life." Her voice shook with emotion and they could see a shiver run through her as she did her best to stay in control of herself.

“I hope you’ll find that this is the new normal for you,” Phil said with a smile. “Your mother is an aberration.”

“In the meantime, you can stay here.” Loki rolled her eyes when the gamma looked at her suspiciously. “She’s safe with me. I have no interest in adding to the abuses done to her. I do have to ask, Ylva - where are you on your cycle?”

She tilted her head curiously at Lori. “My cycle?”

Loki and Phil exchanged glances of surprise. “Your heat cycle,” Loki said carefully. “If you’re going to go into heat, precautions will have to be taken.”

Her brows knit together and she shook her head. "I don't know what you are speaking of, Lori."

“Really?” Phil looked worried. “Are you - uh, I’ve never heard of an omega who doesn’t have a heat.”

“I remember some of the Ljósálfur making surprised comments about me because I am an omega, but other than that they don’t usually fight, no one has bothered to explain much more than that to me.” She shrugged. “Neither my mother nor Lord Ovidr seemed overly concerned with educating me, save martial training after I killed the man who attacked me shortly after I was first taken to the mistlands.”

“Did Lord Ovidr cast a spell on you twice a year?” Loki leaned forward, frowning thoughtfully as she questioned the omega.

“Not that I really recall. He would give me talismans for specialty matches, if it was allowed, and sometimes as gifts.” She motioned to her eyebrow, where a double line of small pink dots showed where the skin was healing over piercing holes. “I left them behind so he could not use them to track me.”

“Have you ever had a time when you were terribly hungry for about a week, during which you felt the desire to create a nest in that week?” Phil took another drink of mead. “Maybe had a lost month twice a year?”

She gave him a look, glancing at Lori to see if the alien thought his questions as weird as she did. At Lori’s patient stare, she shook her head again. “I was pretty much always hungry. My mother forgot to feed me a lot of the time and we’d run out of cereal or Pop Tarts before she’d bother to go grocery shopping. With the hobgoblins...well, when there was food it was still a question of how hungry you had to be before you ate it. It always tasted awful and half the time they’d spike it with some spell or potion just to see what would happen.” She leaned against a wall, laying her head back as she ran through her memories. “I remember when I first came to the mistlands, Ovidr let me eat as much as I wanted and gave me my own room. I think that’s why the other slave attacked me. I didn’t know it until afterwards, but that wasn’t how the other slaves were treated when they arrived. Even afterwards, they still looked at me with hate and envy. They just feared me as well. And I’ve lost time from injuries, but not months. A day or two at the most.”

“He must have suppressed your heats.” Loki sighed, steepling her fingers. “It can be done if you have the right spells, though it is not simple or easy. The longer it goes on, the more it will wear on the omega and the worse the heats after will be.”

“He could have done physical things,” Phil added quickly. “Any odd surgeries?”

“Surgery?” She spoke the word hesitantly, trying to remember what it meant, then shook her head. “No, he didn’t do anything like that. They use magic to heal. Sometimes it’s not instant, but they wouldn’t think to cut into someone except in battle or torture.”

Coulson and Loki were silent for a moment, thinking. FInally, Loki said, “So that leaves the real question. Heats are when an omega is receptive to pregnancy - the only times a year that they are. In a heat, you’ll either need to become pregnant or it will last a month. You’ll spend that time largely miserable, from what I understand of the process. Do you want me to research spells so you continue to suppress your heats?”

She blinked rapidly several times, trying to process that. “I...guess? I haven’t ever had that. Perhaps there’s something wrong with me? Or maybe I won’t have heats, because of the _rogn vin_?”

“Possible.” Loki tapped her lip thoughtfully. “However, to magically remove an omega’s reproductive abilities is difficult. Creating and bearing children is what omegas _do_. It is the entire purpose of their gender. Finding a magic that would do it without killing them would be challenging.”

“I think I’ve had enough of magic worked on me,” Ylva said sharply, her pride pricked by his comments about ‘what omegas do’. “And if all Earth has to offer me is a life of domestic broodmare, then I will look elsewhere to be.”

“Most of the realms believe that omegas are little more than you have said,” Loki told her. “Focus on finding an alpha who sees you as more.”

Phil merely nodded in silent agreement, adding, “You can try to stay single but that’s not usually an option for omegas.”

She arched a brow at him and said levelly, “I have escaped one master. I will not run to submit to another. Let these alphas try. I have spent a decade fighting them in the arenas; they will not find me some simpering wretch.”

“I hope you find an alpha who likes non-simpering non-wretches,” Phil told her sincerely. He glanced at his watch and sighed. “It’s late. I have a ride coming-”

“Cancel it,” Loki purred at him, earning her a sharp look.

“I have a ride coming, but I’d like to talk to you some more,” he told Ylva. “Get some more information on trods and how to use them.”

“You must find someone to take you to the Goblin Market and barter for a pass. Single use ones are not hard to come by for a newcomer - the hobs always want new customers, but they get more expensive as you go. You could try for a permanent pass, but that’ll require a _deal_ , not just bartering. Or applying to set up your own stall at the Market.” She gave him a crooked smile. “To do _that_ you have to convince them that you can bring in a whole new type of customer, extend the reach of the Market.”

Phil smiled. “Thank you for that. Can we still talk more later?” She nodded. “Great. I’ll be in touch. Good night, ladies.”

He walked outside. Lori went to the window and watched him start down the dirt path that led to the highway. “So stubborn,” she murmured, and turned back to Ylva. “Would you mind if I reverted to my male form? It was the one I was born with, and I find it more comfortable.”

Ylva shrugged and nodded. “As you wish. There were several lords and ladies in the mistlands that would change their gender for whim or season. It does not bother me.”

Loki bowed her head, long hair sweeping forward. When his head came up again, Ylva could see that the familiar face was still familiar, if stronger-featured than before. His suit became green, gold, and black armor, shifting in a blaze of light. Spreading his arms, he asked, “Is this form not glorious?”

She looked him over with meticulous attention, then laughed. “You certainly _are_ a noble, with that attitude.” She tipped her head to his clothing. “I like the armor, though. I always thought the white for me was...impractical, at best. I needed new armor after each round of matches from all the scratches and dents and blood that would show up so easily.”

“In the pit, white would show the blood better,” Loki said with a laugh. “Now, you have drunk. Do you desire food?”

“Mmm, a meal would be nice. The travelling charm was an old one and uses the person’s own life force. It must be nice, to know how to cast magic yourself.” She stood, her armor creaking and clacking as a she did. “Before the repast, though, would you mind helping me out of this? It is heavy and I would not come to a friend’s table armed.” She smiled shyly at him, unused to allowing herself the luxury of _trust_.

He smiled, a little surprised at the tenderness that shot through him. “Of course,” he replied, moving to her side and studying the armor. “Do I start here?” he asked, touching one of the buckles.

“Hmph,” she grinned at him. “Must be _really_ nice not to have take your armor on or off manually.” She moved his hands to the bottom most of the buckles on the breastplate. “If you start at the top, you end up with armor caving in on your midsection and then wriggling around every time you move. After the first bruised rib, you remember to do it right.”

“It is very nice to-” With another flare of light, the golden armor disappeared, becoming a simple green and black outfit. “-not have to manually change clothing.” She snorted and he focused on the buckles, enjoying the strength in these hands, even as he missed some of the dexterity from his other form.

“You do enjoy showing off, don’t you?” She held out her arms so he could reach the buckles on her sides. “You should have been a gladiator instead of a prince.”

“I was given no more choice in the matter than you, as Odin plucked me from the ice as an infant without asking if I wished to be saved.” He smiled wryly. “I do not deny that I got the better arrangement of the two of us.”

“How rude of him,” she murmured in amusement, “to save you without permission.” As the breastplate came unbuckled, the green leather coat underneath was revealed. Under her greaves were leggings of a similar shade of green. Out of the bulky metal armor, she was a slim, athletic figure, every inch the ‘elf’ of human lore. She breathed a sigh of relief and stretched, moving with a fluid grace that the platemail had denied her. “Much better. Strange, though, to be out of armor and not in my chambers or attending some formal occasion for-”

She stopped, tilted her head to the side, then grinned and laughed. “That _damn bastard_. Hah! Years of playing the faithful slave, and I can finally say it!” She laughed and twirled in circles, dancing for unbridled joy in the moment of her victory.

Loki watched her for a moment, then turned to the kitchen. “Your victory feast is coming. It will come faster,” he added teasingly, “if you help.”

The half-elf nodded and followed him, and together, they crafted Ylva’s first meal in freedom.


	12. Treasured

Vala woke up with her nose buried in Sam’s back. The beta lay stomach down on the guest bed, still locked in a deep sleep. The omega sighed and rested her chin on his shoulder, watching him for a few minutes. She waited for the usual panic to set in but this morning, she found herself remaining calm.

It had been six days since their bonding, and today was the first one where she didn’t wake up and quietly freak out. That was a relief; her attacks of nerves woke up everyone in the pack and brought them running into the room. At least today everyone could sleep in.

 _Am I getting used to them?_ It wouldn’t surprise her to learn that she was. She’d always been good at adapting and surviving. In fairness, they made it very easy for her, treating her with love and respect.

They didn’t hide their hunt for the Razors, for example. Her old pack scared her and they knew it, but they didn’t try to pretend that they weren’t seeking them out for a showdown. Steve had made it clear that he’d allow her former family the choice to run away and leave her alone. Johnny would never accept that; Vala knew he was too prideful to take an easy out. She was his omega, even if the bond had been broken, and nothing would stop him from trying to get her back.

Vala shivered slightly and dropped those thoughts. Johnny was far away, and she refused to wake up her pack just because she was dwelling on him. She shifted so that her nose pressed into the middle of Sam’s back, and she inhaled deeply. The warm scent of beta and pack rolled over her, and she felt herself relax. Maybe she was done with the panics.

She became aware of a new sensation trickling through her. Hesitantly, she reached out and combed her fingers through the short hair at the base of Sam’s neck. He mumbled and shifted but didn’t wake up, which gave her a moment to to consider whether she was really feeling arousal or not.

She’d tried to sleep alone in the guest room but the loneliness had robbed her of rest. Sam had agreed to share her bed, even going so far as to offer to put pillows between them. The comfort of pack, even if it was only one member, had been too strong for her to keep a barrier between them, and she’d been able to sleep only when pressed against the beta.

 _That’s a sure sign that I’m bound to them_ , she thought with a little smile. She didn’t like to be touched while sleeping, not until her first pack.

Her fingers began to trace the valleys of his musculature, learning the ridges and hollows of his lean form. Sam stirred and began to shift, stretching his entire body. The motion created new contours on his dark skin, and she traced them until he turned his head. “Good morning,” he said, his tone warm but cautious.

“Good morning,” she murmured and kissed his cheek, then his shoulder.

“So, this is something,” he said after a moment, his voice taut with desire.

“We should go wake up the others,” she suggested, grinning at him.

Lust leapt into his gaze but he was still gallant enough to ask, “You’re sure?”

“I woke up feeling content and safe.” She traced the edge of his ear. “If I find I’m not, I can call it off and try again later.” There was half a question in her statement; she still wasn’t used to the unparalleled freedom she had in this pack. The right to refuse her alpha sex in particular was mind-boggling.

Sam wiggled onto his back and reached up to brush her hair behind her ear. “We just want to protect you,” he assured her. “If you want sex, that’s fine. If you want to wait, that’s fine too.”

Vala threw a leg over him and straddled his stomach. “I want to wake the others up.” Just to be sure he got the point, she wiggled a little.

“Then we should go and wake them up,” Sam said with a little grin. He pushed on her hip and she tumbled off of him and rolled to the floor. From the look on his face, she’d moved a bit faster than she’d meant; they still were caught off-guard when she poured on the speed.

He took her hand and led her back into the pack’s bedroom. It was the largest room in the suite; it had to be to accommodate the pack-sized bed. Built to sleep five comfortably, it was going to be strained with the six members of her pack. Vala stopped in the door and Sam turned to glance at her. “Just admiring the view,” she whispered.

Steve was in the middle, of course, lying on his back with the others curled against him. Bucky was alone on his left, while Natasha pressed against his right with Clint curled around her. Steve had his arms around all three of his gammas, cradling them against him, protective even in sleep. Even without taking their physical attractiveness into account, they were still beautiful all piled together like that. For the first time, she felt a surge of fierce possessiveness - they were _hers_ and it was the first time her mind, soul, and heart acknowledged that.

Sam waited patiently as she moved past him and eased herself onto the bed. She was draping herself over Steve before he had a chance to wake up, and she got a darling look of shock from him. "Good morning," she murmured, lowering her head to kiss him.

"Good morning," he replied when they surfaced for air, looking eager and bewildered. He glanced past her to Sam, who was leaning against the door jamb, smiling.

"Her idea," the beta said, delight suffusing his features.

"Oh?" Bucky murmured, sliding his right hand up her bare hip.

"That sounds promising." Clint's voice was a sleepy rumble as he leaned over Natasha, who was watching Vala closely. The blonde omega sat up, her hair tumbling forward into her eyes.

"Are you sure?" Steve had asked that so many times he was starting to feel like a skipping record. She'd said yes before then had backed out, leaving the room. That was fine; Steve would rather her do that than allow herself to be pressured into something she didn't want. Still, he'd be very happy when she was comfortable with them.

She couldn't quite met his eyes, and a flush hid her freckles. A rush of arousal nearly drowned out her words; with effort, he focused enough to hear her say, "I want this. I want you guys."

That was better than promising, and Steve sat up to kiss her. "Just so long as you're sure," he murmured, trailing his thumb over her cheek.

"I am, so shut up and fuck me." Her dirty words sent his cock into overdrive and for once he didn't mind the coarse language. She pushed on his chest and he gave in, falling onto his back. She wiggled until her legs were on either side of him, an action that was some of the most erotic torture he'd ever endured. Natasha and Clint were inventive in bed but few things were more sexy than his omega positioning herself on top of him.

It was the Treasure Position, and Steve had dreamed of doing his since the day he'd seen the image in the _Kama Sutra_. He'd known about it long before but the carnal artpiece of an omega riding her alpha so that the rest of the pack could fawn over her had memorized him. His early fumbling attempts at masturbation had been fantasies involving his omega loving on the pack.

Thoughts about his boyhood erotic material faded as Vala wrapped her fingers around his cock. Steve's groan was cut off by Bucky leaning over and kissing him. The captain lost himself for a moment in kissing his first gamma, his oldest and best friend. When the metal-armed man straightened up, Steve saw that Sam had followed Vala up onto his legs. Her fingers on him and Buck's kiss had distracted him. As he watched, the Falcon pulled her nightshirt off and flung it away. When his dark hands trailed up her fair skin and cupped her breasts, Steve groaned again. Sam whispered something into her ear and the omega smiled back at him. "Yes," she replied to the unknown question.

"You're still wearing your underwear," Natasha murmured to Vala, a knife appearing in her hands. Grinning, she cut the lacy material away from the omega, tossing it with the nightshirt. Clint reached around Natasha and slipped his fingers into Vala. The omega's head fell back as Hawkeye explored her pussy, his thumb brushing over her clit periodically.

Sam moved behind Vala, pressing against her before lifting and lowering her. She cried out again, her nipples pebbling as Falcon eased his lubed cock into her ass one slow inch at a time. She knew it was just the start and reached out for the two male gammas. They came to their knees on either side of her and she gently grasped each of their cocks. Sliding her hands up and down their lengths, she looked to Natasha, wondering what she planned to do. Vala had never thought she'd be part of a six-person pack, so she wasn't sure what happened now.

The red-head answered that question by straddling Steve's face. His chin immediately began to work, and the gamma hissed with pleasure. "I get your lips," she murmured, cupping Vala's cheeks and pulling her face close. Kissing the other woman's soft lips nearly made her forget to keep her hands in motion.

It was a little awkward, and it wouldn't always be like this for them. For the first time, it had to be all of them together - not because it was a law, but because they were pack, and they always wanted to share these milestones. The consummation of their pack, particularly so long after their bonding, was huge for each of them, and she'd endure some discomfort to share that with them all.

Sam lifted Vala and she felt Steve's hands grip her hips. A heartbeat later, Steve pulled them down and forward with his cock at her entrance. He speared her with infinite gentleness, filling her up with so much pack. It took a moment for Steve and Sam to find their rhythm in her, while Natasha kissed her senseless. Even as she tried to stroke Bucky and Clint, they nibbled at her breasts, neck, and ears, their hands following the same paths. When Natasha joined them in touching and tasting her, Vala wasn’t sure she was going to survive.

In front, behind, on both sides and underneath her: it all became an endless haze of sensation. In the back of her mind, she could feel the pack’s excitement rising. Five points of blazing pleasure rose in her heart like a trail of fireworks.

She wasn’t sure who collapsed first, but it started a chain reaction of orgasms throughout the pack. All she knew was the moment that she came with an eruption of bliss that wrung her out and left her boneless with ecstasy. Then she felt Steve’s knot swell inside of her, slowly enough that she could pull away if she wanted, but she had no desire to. As he filled her up more, his knot hit spots in her that nothing else could, and she tripped into a second orgasm.

Vala might have blacked out, though she thought it was more likely that she was just insensate for a short period of time. Sam supported her, though he panted heavily on her neck. Natasha and Clint were curled around one another, while Bucky sprawled next to Steve. Their alpha looked half-dazed, but Vala half-expected that as he was still half-swollen in her.

Sam whispered in her ear, “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I just need a moment.”

“So do I.” Steve’s voice was rough but he looked happy as he reached out and ran a hand over her hip. “Vala, thank you.”

“It was time,” she said, shrugging. Feeling that he’d decreased enough, she lifted herself and pulled his cock out of her.

“That was so romantic,” Clint said with a sardonic smile.

“It think ‘it was time’ will become a thing with us,” Natasha murmured. “It’s so deep.”

“Shut up,” Vala told them with a laugh. “I just got fucked senseless, okay?”

“Oh, I know what will shut them up,” Bucky said with a grin. “More fucking.”

“I have no argument with that,” Steve said quickly.

Everyone looked at her, and Vala grinned. “I can think of nothing better,” she told her pack, feeling safe and warm for the first time in years.


	13. Hungarian

Tony was prepared to rib Steve about his omega and the new bond for a while, but even he admitted that the super-soldier looked better now that his pack was closed. There was a lack of tension in the other alpha, and Tony wondered if a similar change had come over him.

They were meeting in the hall outside Steve’s suite. “Tony, thanks for coming.” Steve offered his hand, and crushed Tony’s when he automatically took it. As he shook it out, the other alpha turned to Bruce. “And thank you, too.”

Tony watched closely, but his mate didn’t get the same metacarpal-pulping grip, which was just as well. He didn’t want to find out what happened when his alpha instincts got the better of him with a friend. The billionaire wouldn’t care if someone like Hammer insulted Bruce and gave him a reason to lash out, but Steve was a friend. “So, you had to do it,” he told Steve.

“I’m sorry?” the super soldier asked, blinking.

“You have to spontaneously bond, like some damned fairy tale.” Despite his words, the accusation in his tone was only teasing. “Can you do anything less than perfectly?”

Steve blushed. “Not my idea,” he said, even if they all knew his protest was pointless.

“No, no, I’m sure you wanted the quiet outdoor ceremony with only your closest friends in attendance.” Tony couldn’t resist that last dig. “The gammas in armor, Sam in a blue robe, and your little omega decorated with flowers. Hey, you saved yourself a lot of money.”

“We might still have a ceremony,” Steve mumbled as he opened the door to the suite and stopped.

Tony looked over the taller alpha’s shoulder and rolled his eyes. The gammas and Sam were all clustered around a petite blonde. Bucky was brushing her hair while Sam helped paint her toenails. Clint and Natasha were sitting in what Tony thought of as the ‘relaxed ready’ pose, poised to jump up at the slightest threat to the pack.

He focused his attention on the omega, unsurprised at her appearance. _She even has the traditional omega look - sweet, fragile, and adorable. I mean, she’s got **freckles**._ She was so stereotypically perfect for Captain America; it was ridiculous.

The billionaire quietly nudged his friend with an elbow, while Bruce hid a knowing smile. Tony fought a mocking chuckle; he’d caught himself staring at his pack while thoughts of awe wandered through his brain. He knew that the honeymoon period would pass soon enough and he couldn’t wait. It wasn’t horrible, aside from the feeling that someone was hijacking his brain.

Steve snapped out of his revere on the second nudge, turning red. Clearing his throat, he walked into the room and said, “Vala, this is Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Bruce, Tony, Vala.”

Her green eyes shifted from Steve to him, and Tony found himself straightening automatically. He was bound, not dead; even as that excuse crossed his head, he shot a glance at the other alpha to see if he’d caught the shift. Unamused blue eyes glared at him, and Tony smiled as non-threateningly as he could manage. “Vala, it’s nice to meet you,” he said, nodding to her instead of offering a hand. Touching a newly bound alpha’s omega could be dangerous to one’s health.

“Likewise,” Bruce said, moving around both alphas to join the cluster around her. Clint stiffened a little, only to have Natasha punch him in the arm. After a grimace, the archer scooted back from Vala, looking chagrined. “I’m available if you ever want me to do a medical exam.”

“Better now than later,” she said with a smile. “Just let my toenail polish dry, okay?”

“I can start by taking your vitals. You don’t have to move.” Bruce took her wrist in his fingers and took her pulse. Tony wondered if her ease with the omega was because of their shared genders or because he was here without his gammas. Had it been anyone other than Steve asking for help, Happy or Rhodie would have come. Tony trusted the first Avenger, even with something as precious as his omega.

The two alphas stood back and watched Steve’s pack. After a moment, Steve pulled Tony back to the doorway where they had the illusion of privacy. “So how’s bound life?” the super-soldier asked far too casually.

“Good, good.” Tony smirked at him. “Need any advice, since my pack closed first?”

“By twenty minutes, maybe.” Steve smirked at him. “Are you used to the feeling of other people being in your head?”

“They’ve been in my heart for years now,” Tony said, then wanted to kick himself. These unexpected poetic outbursts were starting to annoy him. He never meant to say them out loud; it just happened.

Captain America was so perfect he turned down the chance to tease Tony. “I envy you that.”

The billionaire frowned at him. “Why?”

“Because I would have liked to know who Vala was before we were all bound. You had the chance to meet people and choose them.” He shrugged self-consciously. “I got certainty but I didn’t get freedom of choice.”

“Only you could take that route with spontaneous bonding,” Tony grunted. “It’s a magical gift that kids are taught is the epitome of romance, and you’re upset because you didn’t have to go through the fear and worry like everyone else.”

“I’m grateful for her, Tony. It was just odd, loving her so immediately.” He stared at her, his expression filling with that awe again. “Sometimes, I can’t believe she’s really there, then I see her and it all comes flooding back.”

“I get that too.” There were times to be serious, and Tony had deemed this to be one of them. “I loved them before the ceremony, but after - there aren’t words.”

“No, there aren’t.” Steve cleared his throat. “That’s why I need your help.” In a soft voice, he told Tony about Vala’s past. “We have to go public with the pack closing, I do know that. But I don’t want the media to eat her alive.”

“Good luck,” Tony snorted. “The media machine is always hungry, and the omega who stole Captain America’s heart will be known near and far.”

“I mean, I need help so that she’s presented in the best light.” Steve’s jaw tightened until Tony thought he heard his teeth grinding. “I don’t want people to find out where she came from and then harass her over it.”

“They’re going to find out where she came from, Steve. That’s the media’s job. What you can do is spin it so she’s sympathetic, not the Whore of Babylon.” The words were barely out of Tony’s mouth before he considered that they probably weren’t the wisest.

Steve confirmed his suspicion by slamming Tony into a wall. The First Avenger reined in his temper immediately after that, but the billionaire still rebounded off the drywall. In a second, the gammas were on their feet, and Bucky was reaching for Bruce.

Sam interceded, grabbing his gamma’s arm. The beta’s move was enough to halt everyone’s actions for a second. Vala seemed to blur for a moment, then remained where she was, her eyes wide.

That was long enough for Tony to say, “I’m sorry. Those were poorly chosen words.”

The other alpha took a deep breath. “Apology accepted.” His smile was a mere ghost of his normal expression. “I think that’s the first one you’ve given me.”

“Yeah, it’s an early Christmas gift,” Tony quipped before motioning for Steve to move further away from the slowly relaxing gammas. “So what you really need is Greta.”

“Greta?”

“My PR guru.” Tony smirked as he admitted, “I don’t listen to her much but when I do, she’s worth every penny. And before you ask, no, you’re not paying for her. I owe you a bonding gift.”

“So what’s she going to do?” Steve asked nervously. The last time he’d dealt with public relations, it had turned him into a dancing monkey.

“She’ll come up with a way to tell Vala’s story that’ll make her look as good as possible, and you’ll get talking points.” Tony grimaced a little. “They’re good points, but usually pretty boring. She’ll curse at you in Hungarian if you don’t use them.”

Steve looked haunted as he looked back at his pack. “I just don’t want people to disregard her for her past.”

“I get it,” Tony said, and he wasn’t lying. In fact, he was pretty sure that he’d seen the real reason behind Steve’s worry: nothing about Vala suggested that she was ‘worthy’ of being Captain America’s omega. Tony knew that his omega spot had been envied, but he knew that Steve’s had been even more desired by the omegas of the world.

Vala would have never had a chance. Steve wasn’t a bastard, but Tony knew his friend. Her background would have meant that Captain America would have never seen her as a suitable omega. He would have helped her, died for her if that’s what was demanded of him, but he never would have opened his heart to her. Steve was too aware that he wouldn’t have loved her without the bond, and now that he did love her, he couldn’t bear the idea that others would hate or despise her.

“Greta will want to meet the entire pack, and get everyone’s history.” Tony glanced over at Bucky. “She’s going to recommend clothing, stylists - the whole nine. I never listen to her, but you should.”

Steve was quiet. “Let me talk to my pack.”

“Sure thing.” The two alphas rejoined the others to find Bruce testing Vala’s reflexes. He was having everyone toss small items at her, and she was plucking them out of the air with a bored expression. “That’s something.”

“Yeah, amazing, isn’t it?” Steve asked with unmistakable pride.

“That’s a word for it.” Tony watched her with a frown. The thought that HYDRA had three more with her levels of power was troubling. “What have you learned, Bruce?”

“Well, the heightened speed is tied directly to her metabolism. She thinks faster, or at least reacts faster, than we do.” The omega sounded amused instead of worried. “To get better answers, I’d have to do some pretty extensive tests. By scent alone, you’re perfectly healthy.”

“We could have told you that,” Clint remarked, trailing his fingers down Val’s arm.

“Which is why I need to run some tests, still,” Bruce said. “There are a lot of problems that you guys could be facing, health-wise, and I’d like to help you be prepared for them.”

“Such as?” Natasha asked, leaning forward to nuzzle her omega.

“Premature aging, accelerated gestation, metabolism problems.” Bruce sounded apologetic about the bad news as he delivered it, offering an uneasy half-smile. “Once we’ve done some tests, I can give you a better idea.”

“Can I have kids?” Vala asked.

“That’s not important,” Steve said quickly, which raised Tony’s eyebrow. Most alphas wanted children; it was a biological drive that few could ignore. He personally had zero interest in children, but he knew Steve was much more traditional.

“Yes it is,” she insisted. “I want them, too. Maybe not next heat cycle, but I want them.”

Steve relaxed minutely at her announcement, as Bruce said, “Let’s head down to the lab and find out.”

“I’ll go with you,” Bucky said quickly.

“Me, too,” Sam added.

“We could all go,” Natasha pointed out with a smile.

“Everyone’s welcome,” Tony offered as pleasantly as he could, even as he was overwhelmed with visions of the Rogers pack descending on his labs en mass.

“Bucky, Sam, you go,” Steve said with the unmistakable authority of an alpha. “Tony, I’d like to review your security with you and your gammas. Once we go public, I know her former pack is going to pay a visit, and I’d like everyone to know what is coming.”

“Good idea.” Tony wasn’t scared of a bunch of kids, but after seeing Vala’s powers, he wanted some precautions in place. Both he and Steve had omegas to protect now.


	14. As You Wish

“Hello, sweeties!” Hal Berrie blew his trademark kiss to the camera with a wink, the silver glitter showing up like stars against his tawny skin. “Welcome to a _special_ episode of _People Today_ , your number one source of information about your favorite glittery idols!”

“And today,” Crys Swede picked up his lines smoothly as he artfully flipped his long blonde bangs to one side of his face, “we have the _biggest_ news of the century!”

“Second.” Hal threw a bitch-face at his co-star. “Tony Stark’s will forever be the biggest.”

The blond man rolled his eyes. “I see someone isn’t a fan of the red, white, and blue hotness that is Steven Grant Rogers.”

“No,” Hal pouted. “I’m mad at him.”

“I thought you might be.” As Crys turned to the audience, the screen behind him filled with images of Captain America, most of them in his trademarked uniform. “Everyone’s favorite patriot  is scheduled to give a press conference in two minutes. We’ll be providing live coverage and commentary, but this announcement is almost certain to be the introduction of his future omega--”

“Yeah, Mr. We’re-not-looking-for-an-omega!” Hal shook his fists in the air. “With this announcement, the last eligible Avenger alpha is taken!”

“There’s always Thor,” Crys reminded Hal and the audience as an image of the godling and his pack appeared behind him.

“ _Please_. As if. The man’s had his omega for how many years now and is _still_ unbound?” Hal snorted hard enough to dislodge the rhinestone beauty mark from his cheek. “Clearly, he can’t close the deal. Besides, I hear he doesn’t sleep with his gammas! Lock me in a marriage where I’m not getting some alpha-lovin’? No, _thank you._ ”

“They certainly do it differently in Asgard-- Oh, Frank, our production manager has just signalled, so they’re to the important part of the announcement.” He and Hal twisted around in their chairs as the pictures of Thor disappeared and were replaced with the live feed.

“--for coming.” Captain America cleared his throat.

“Oh, his omega is darling!” Crys stated quickly, having spotted the unknown petite blond standing with his pack.

“Tramp,” Hal hissed before being shushed.

“--often said we weren’t looking for an omega.” Steve gazed at the camera with his expression that promised truth and justice. “That’s because the right one wasn’t available. She was being held by HYDRA, as a prisoner. Much like Bucky, she was forced--”

“Poor thing,” Crys murmured, only to have Hal admonish him to be quiet.

“And like Bucky, when she saw her chance to escape, she took it.” Captain America gazed out into the crowd of reporters, composed. “She came to us for help, finding us at my friend Tony’s wedding. We pulled her aside to speak to her, and as we pledged to help her, we spontaneously bound her.”

The reporters and the studio audience alike went crazy, shouting questions and exclamations of shock. The two hosts of _People Today_ didn’t disappoint, hands flying up to cover their faces. “What!” Hal jumped up, landing on his seat cushion. “What!”

“Oh, how romantic,” Crys sighed. “It’s like Romeo’s pack, only hopefully without the poison at the end.”

“What! The! _Beeeeeep_!” Hal was still jumping on his chair and flinging his hands around his head.

“Shh! He’s talking again!” Crys shouted.

“--be rude to upstage Tony on his big day, so we held off announcing it until now.” Captain America scowled into the camera. “To those in HYDRA who think they can come and take her from me: God help you because you’ll need it.”

 _Captain America just called me out._ Johnny narrowed his eyes at the television, watching as the black man put an arm around Vala. _I have to fight Captain America to get my omega back._ His lips twisted up in a slow grin. There was nothing he loved more than a good fight.

The rest of the show droned on, ignored as the thieving alpha opened up the floor to questions. Johnny couldn’t focus on the inane media queries and their responses; he was caught up in memory.

_The bond had shattered without warning. Johnny sat up on the couch, heart pounding as he was alone in his own head again. He hadn’t known that feeling for two years, and the sudden loss of the bond link echoed through his entire body. For a second, everything hurt._

_The pain passed as quickly as it had come and he knew that something had happened to Vala. She was the second lynchpin in the bond; without an alpha or omega, there was no connection. He could hear Piotr yelling as he dashed to her room._

_He opened the door expecting blood and death, but his cute blonde was picking herself up off the floor. “What happened?” he asked her, reaching for her._

_She pulled away, across the room before he could blink. “I happened,” she spat, her voice full of fury. “That was for Christina.”_

_Johnny snarled, “What have you--” She charged him, slamming him into the wall before she raced out of the room. He scrambled to his feet, but he heard the front door to the safe house bang before he was upright. By the time he was outside, she was gone._

“So you ran to the enemy, my little bitch?” The angry man smiled. “He can’t save you from me.”

~  *  ~  *  ~

Darcy paused in front of the door to the Stark Pack residence, aware that once she tapped on it, she was starting something that could blow up in her face. _I just don’t know what else to do_ , she thought miserably. Sighing, she rapped her knuckles against the wood.

Rhodie opened the door, his wary expression slipping into a smile when he confirmed it was her. “Ms. Lewis, come in.”

“Thanks.” She stepped inside, a pleasant expression on her face. The smell of pack and curry flowed over her, and she teased, “Papa Pak’s from downtown?”

“India Lotus, actually.” Tony poked his head out of the dining room, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth. “They don’t deliver but they’re way better. If you’re looking for a handout--ow!”

“Don’t mind him,” Pepper said, following him into the entry. “There’s plenty, Darcy.”

 _Shit, they’re in the middle of dinner._ Meals were a pack’s family time. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ve come at a bad time.”

Pepper smiled graciously. “Just dinner. You can join us.”

“Uh, sure.” It was awkward, but Darcy allowed herself to get drawn into eating. Within a few bites, she was glad she did. The atmosphere at the table was jovial and friendly, so unlike the cold war in her homelife. Tony teased everyone but they were all so calm -- no, happy. Bruce looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. That mood extended to her; she actually laughed and had fun. She almost forgot why she’d come.

“So, since you didn’t know we’d gotten the best Indian take out in Manhattan, I assume you have another reason to slurp down our paneer,” Tony said in a brief pause on the conversation.

Darcy quirked her eyebrow at the alpha. “Actually, I wanted some advice.”

“Do we get to pick the advice,” Tony asked, “or are you looking for something specific?”

“I wanted to speak with Pepper.” She paused and locked eyes with the other woman. “About beta stuff.”

“Sounds like we should leave you be, then.” Bruce was already rising.

“Would you like one of us to say?” Happy asked, looking between alpha and beta.

“We know Darcy,” Pepper said quickly. “She’s a friend.”

“And a beta,” Darcy added on her own behalf. “Which isn’t to say I won’t be a bitch but I’m not inclined to be.” Sif had proven her permanently wrong on that point.

The others didn’t understand but Pepper’s gentle insistence won, and soon the two betas were alone. The older woman sat back in the chair, crossed her legs and smiled. “What can I help you with?”

“I need advice.” In slow, faltering words, she laid out the problem. It felt wrong, airing the pack’s dirty laundry so clearly, but as she spoke, Darcy felt liberated through sharing her problems. She knew Pepper would understand, in a way that no other gender could.

“Wow,” the redhead said when she finally finished talking. “That’s quite a mess.”

“I know.” Darcy hoped Pepper could do more than state the obvious.

“How are the gammas handling it?” the other beta asked.

“They’re trying not to get involved,” Darcy answered, feeling suddenly tired. She’d been dealing with this mess for years now, and she wasn’t sure it had a solution. “When they do get involved, they back Sif. I get it - they’ve known her for literal centuries.”

“The only real suggestion I have is to get one or more of them on your side.” Pepper didn’t look too confident of her idea, though, which wasn’t helping Darcy feel good about it. “You need an ally in that situation.”

“It’s not like Jane counts,” Darcy added bitterly.

The redhead smiled sadly, all too aware of gender inequality. “She does, but it’s two against four. That’s never good odds. You have to build support within the pack.”

 _Yeah, that’s my life._ “I don’t have your skill at that, Pepper.” Darcy knew she was much better at tearing stuff apart than building it.

“The other option is to walk.” Pepper leaned forward. “I know it’s hard to hear or think about, but I think it’s clear to everyone that Thor is waiting for you to give up before he’ll close the pack. If you let go of Jane, then if they do bond, Sif will love her. It might be for the best.”

Darcy felt tears prick as she shook her head. She’d considered it, but leaving Jane behind was unthinkable. “I can’t. Not until I’m sure she’s going to be okay.”

“Darcy, no one can know that. The pack bond could form tomorrow, then a week from now, everything could change.” Pepper’s eyes were firm yet full of sympathy; it reminded Darcy of a dorm mom she’d had who was fond of ‘telling it like it was’.

“Thanks for the advice,” she said, rising to her feet, propelled by the deep need to get away. She’d put so much hope in Pepper having a magical solution that would fix everything. The beta had nothing to offer her, though, and Darcy admitted that she’d known that all along. _Hope is a bitch._

That dark thought kept her company all the way down to Thor’s suite. When she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of Sif cleaning the dinner table. “Where were you?” the raven-haired beta snarled, thrusting a plate into the dishwasher with unnecessary force.

Seeing to the food and cleaning was part of a beta’s responsibility, and Darcy felt her stomach sink as she realized her pack had eaten early. _Without me. No one called. Not even Jane._ That negligent slap in her face turned her words sharp. “At Stark’s. I wanted pleasant company for once.”

Sif’s cheeks reddened in anger and the forks in her hand crashed into the basket. “While you were absent, I took care of the pack.” Spinning, she yanked more dishes out of the sink and shoved them into the machine. “If you can’t even come to eat with us, then you don’t belong.”

All thoughts of peace were long gone as Darcy faced off with the stronger Asgardian. “Oh, yes, _I_ don’t belong. This is my world, so if anyone should go, it’s you.”

Sif rounded on her, fury in her gaze. “I go where Thor bids me, and he bids me stay on Midgard. I have been his be-”

It was a bad idea. Some part of her knew it even as she said it. “Buttlicker for centuries--”

Sif’s fist came toward her face, and Darcy didn’t even have a chance to flinch. Her eyes instinctively snapped shut, even as she heard the impact. She didn’t feel it, and she cautiously opened her eyes.

Hogun stood between her and Sif, his hand still holding the other beta’s fist. “You will kill her, and she is still Thor’s beta,” the gamma said simply.

Darcy sat down on the floor; she didn’t have a choice. Hogan hadn’t been lying; Sif could have punched right through her. Part of her was annoyed at how her legs just folded up like that, but most of her brain was occupied with, _She would have killed me._

“We would be better off. Thor would close the pack, and we would finally be one.” Sif wrenched her hand free. “ _Everything_ would be better without her.”

“This is not the way.” The gamma glanced down at Darcy, then knelt and picked her up in his arms. “She is pack, even if we are not bound.”

The beta leaned into Hogun, drawing in his scent. The smell of protective gamma soothed her faster than anything else could have, and she went limp against him. He took her to the pack’s guest room, laying her on the bed. Darcy curled up on her side, shivering. Hogun hesitated, unsure for a moment, before getting a blanket and putting it over her. He lay down in front of her and pulled her close.

Darcy relaxed slowly, the shivers fading in the cocoon of warmth and gamma-scent. “You shouldn’t have said that,” Hogun told her softly when she was calm. “Sif doesn’t possess Thor’s temper, but you were in the wrong.”

“I know.” Darcy sighed, staring at the long strand of his hair tangled in his armor. With tentative fingers, she freed it. “I knew it the moment I said it.”

“If only you had known it before speaking.” His fingers combed through her hair. “Thor must intercede.”

“No, please, no!” Darcy lifted her head, tears in her eyes. “If you force the issue, he’ll kick me out! Please, don’t.”

He frowned at her. “My silence might mean your death.”

“And speaking will get me kicked out of the pack that’s been my family for more than two years.” Her fingers gripped his armor, tugging lightly. “If you want to protect me, then keep your mouth shut.”

He stared at her for a long moment before sighing, and she knew she had him. “As you wish.”

She jerked and stared at him. “You, uh, you haven’t seen a movie called _The Princess Bride_ , have you?”

“No. Why?”

“Oh. . .  No reason.”


	15. True Names

When Thor had come to earth, there had been no verifiable intel on what he was or the claims he was making. Of all the reasons to be glad for the Asgardian’s permanent move to New York, his ability to do that for other offworlders was the one that made Phil’s life the easiest.

Of course, sometimes it could be a little hard pinning the big guy down.

“He’s out there?” Phil asked, staring through the thick glass at the wicked storm ravaging the Big Apple.

“Yep,” Jane said with a sigh, sipping her coffee. She stared out into the storm, the work on the table in front of her temporarily forgotten. Only Thor could distract her when she was in her lab. “He loves it.”

“Whatev, Foster,” Darcy chuckled, elbowing her friend in the side. “You love it when he comes in with his hair all windblown and smelling of ozone.”

Jane flushed brightly and dove back into her drink, and Phil quickly said, “How long is he going to be out there?”

“Check the weather report,” Darcy advised flippantly, and Phil knew a brush-off when he heard it. Resisting the urge to sigh at her, he instead said good-bye and went up to the roof. He stood in the doorway, pulled out his heavy-duty flashlight, and started to flash the beam at the clouds.

His knees were soaked to the bone before Thor dropped to the concrete next to him, his blue eyes bright with excitement and grinning ear to ear. Darcy was right; the heady smell of alpha was mixed with the nose-crinkling odor of a storm, and Phil schooled himself to professionalism. Gammas got enough shit for being sluts; he wasn’t going to add to the stereotype by getting a hard-on just because Thor smelled good.

“Son of Coul, my friend!” Thor offered his hand and they clasped wrists in a strong shake. “You are wet!”

“Not a big deal,” he assured the bigger man. SHIELD training included endurance of the elements. “I just need to talk to you.”

“Then let us go inside and share drinks, my friend.” Thor led the way into his pack’s suite. As they entered, the Asgardian called, “I am home!”

Sif immediately appeared from a back room, armored and armed. Her tousled hair and flushed skin implied several activities, but given how quickly she’d arrived, Phil decided she’d been sparring instead of something more interesting. “Thor,” she breathed, love making her face glow. The tall woman started to throw her arms around the prince but caught sight of Phil and stopped. “Agent Coulson.”

“Lady Sif,” he said, more than a little annoyed that Lori had pointed out the fractures in Thor’s nascent pack. Now that she’d pointed them out, Phil couldn’t stop seeing them.

“My honored beta, would you prepare us repast?” Thor asked his beta formally, kissing her knuckles lightly.

“I appreciate that, but I’m on duty, and I have to insist on non-alcoholic repasts.” Phil had received Asgardian hospitality before and had spent a week recovering from the hangover; it was something you didn’t forget.

“As you say,” Sif told him with a little smile and left the room. Thor led Phil to a private room; on the way, they passed a gym where all of the pack’s gammas were sparring together. Phil eyed Hogun as they walked, remembering Lori’s words about the Vanir man.

His host chose a small, cozy room, filled with three overstuffed chairs, all pointing at the fireplace. Once they were seated, Sif brought in a tray of drinks, and the three of them engaged in polite small talk. Finally, the beta left the room and Thor asked, “What can I do for you, my friend?”

“I have a story that I need you to confirm.” Drawing out his notes, Phil relayed the high points of Ylva’s arrival and her story of enslavement.

The good humor fled from Thor’s gaze, and he became as grim as Lori had been. “I know of Lord Ovidr, and I knew that the rulers of Ljósálfur had resisted my father’s demands to end their slavery. But as far as I knew, they _had_ ceased the practice, centuries ago.”

“Ylva’s not centuries old.” Phil stared at his notes as he said, “The woman she claims is her mother is only forty, which makes Ylva much younger than that.”

“Have you any proof of her being born on Midgard recently?” Thor frowned as he admitted, “I cannot take this to my father without something more than her word.”

“I would need a blood test from both Ylva and Mandrie Narre, and I can’t get the latter without a good reason.” Phil rubbed his temples, his frown deepening. “First, she’s tied to Justin Hammer, and given my known relationship with Tony, I can’t just make demands without reason. If I make knowledge of Ylva public, she’ll lose her shot at revenge. Second, something was done to alter Ylva and it might render any tests inconclusive.”

“Yet you believe her.” There was no judgement in the prince’s voice.

“Well, I was able to confirm that Narre started blackmailing an alpha about twenty years ago.” Phil shrugged. “It matches the timeline that Ylva gave us.”

“You said she was changed.” Thor leaned forward a little, his expression grim. “Did the elves remake her into a half-elf?”

“I think so,” Phil said, remembering the delicate curve to her ears and her inhuman face.

The alpha scowled and thunder rumbled inside the building. “That Odin has also forbade. The Lords of the Ljósálfur are defying my father, and it shall not stand.”

“If Ylva is willing to talk to you, I can bring you by Lori’s place.” Phil realized he hadn’t told Thor about the other Asgardian alpha. “By the way, I meant to speak you about her, too. She’s an Asgardian here on Earth. She’s been very helpful--” The sudden tension on Thor’s face stopped him. “What?”

“What does this woman look like?” Thor asked, his voice tight with undefinable emotions.

The gamma’s stomach tightened in worry. “She’s tall, black hair, green eyes, and is partial to green clothing. Why, do you know her?”

“Phil, my friend, Lori is the name that my brother adopts in his female guise, which is much as you have just described to me.” Thor studied him closely. “Did he harm you?”

Phil barely heard the question. From the moment he’d realized that Thor was telling him that Lori was Loki, he’d been locked into a state of shock. His mind frantically replayed their interactions, trying to see signs of the malicious jotun in Lori’s actions. _What is his game?_

A heartbeat later, he realized that he’d left Loki with the omega. “I have to go,” he said, rising abruptly.

“Do you wish me to come with you?” Thor asked, rising as well.

“Has Loki ever used the promise of packing up with someone in one of his plans?” The moment he asked, he realized that he expected the answer to be ‘yes’, and that it hurt. He liked Lori, not just for what she’d shown him in bed, but for the strength he’d seen in her.

“Never.” Thor’s answer drove the air from his lungs and the gamma resisted the urge to sit back down and take some deep, cleansing breaths. “Loki made light of many things, but never about packs or being joined to one. It is -” Thor paused to pick the right word. “Sacred.”

“I can’t believe that he holds anything sacred,” Phil remarked.

“We grew up hearing about the war with the Jotuns, about how they invaded Midgard, and when we stopped them, they retaliated.” Thor looked distant and sad as he recounted the story he’d heard a billion times. “The Frost Giants attacked the palace and killed all of Odin’s pack save his beta and one of his seven gammas. The loss nearly destroyed my fathers and my mother. We grew up knowing that the pack bond was sacred, and neither of us ever violated that, even in jest.”

“If Loki asked someone to join his pack, you wouldn’t think he was planning treachery?” Phil asked, knowing he was probably revealing too much but his need to know overshadowed his caution.

Thankfully, Thor mistook his meaning. “If he’s asked the omega to join him, then she’s safe with _and_ from him.”

“I still need to go and talk to her.” Phil turned and headed for the door, knowing that though he’d implied it was Ylva he need to speak with, it was really Lori - Loki. _That’s going to take some getting used to._

He left Stark’s Tower and called Steve, only to stop himself. His first instinct had been to call in the cavalry but he wasn’t sure it was the right move. Lori - _Loki_ had treated him honestly and fairly. As he remembered their encounter in his hotel room, he had to admit she’d been more than fair. She’d been the perfect alpha, gentle and attentive while being fun.

 _He’d. You have to get used to her being a him._ The thought wouldn’t have bothered him, aside from who the him part of her was. Phil didn’t mind men; they were different, but to a gamma, fun was fun. He’d long ago learned that the person inside was so much more than the package on the outside.

_Why couldn’t Lori have been anyone other than Loki?_

He made arrangements: called for a flight, called in a backup team, and visited an armory before he boarded his plane. The fast plane made quick work of the trip between New York and bum-fuck Colorado, and it gave Phil time to consider his approach. It didn’t help.

He had the quinjet set him down a mile from the cabin, and he ordered the strike team to hang back until he gave the signal. Then he walked up the rutted path to the cabin, trying to decide how this was going to go. He still had no clue when he knocked on the door.

Loki answered it in his female form, laughing at something as the wooden panel swung open. “Phil!” the shapeshifter exclaimed before drawing him into a hug. She didn’t seem to notice his lack of return or his stiff body. “Ylva and I were just testing our chili recipe. You should try it.”

“Lori’s just excited because it doesn’t taste horrible,” Ylva said with a grin. She looked safe and sound, wearing some kind of padded undergarment instead of her armor. That was laid on a corner table neatly. “But really, you _should_ try it.”

Phil let himself be drawn into the room and a bowl of chili was put into his hands. It did smell good. “Ylva, how are you?”

" _Hungry_ ," the omega chirped, throwing her host a good-natured grin. This was the fourth attempt at an edible dinner after one small fire in the oven, one misreading of spices (sugar and salt need to _be_ labeled), and one dreadful frozen thing that had claimed to be some sort of meat and pasta dish but was clearly a convoluted plot to kill anyone foolish enough to attempt consuming it. It had been foiled by the very lucky coincidence of both Lori and Ylva possessing working noses. Chili had been the meal of last resort; when Ylva had been young she'd become an expert on "almost empty pantry" chili and the smell now permeating the room was one of warmth and tangy spices.

Phil nodded and tried the food; he was much more forgiving on what he accepted as edible. He still knew good when he tasted it. “How was your first night back on Earth?"

Loki frowned as she started to catch that Phil wasn’t making eye contact and all his questions were focused on the omega. For now, she merely pressed her lips together.

"Good," she said as she settled in at the table with her own bowl. "Strange, to wake up and not have had it be a dream, to really be free." She closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in that feeling. "There's so much still to be done, I know, but waking up free - that will always be a victory for me."

Phil smiled, his genuine happiness for her cutting through his confusion. “I can imagine it's an incredible feeling. What are you folks planning for tonight?"

“I was hoping for a quiet night talking," Loki told him. “Care to join us?"

Phil glanced at Ylva. _I'm not stalling. I'm being polite._ “Would I be intruding if I stayed?”

She motioned to the furniture dotting the large open space of the room. "There's certainly room for one more; and more than enough chili and mead," she added with a grin.

“Mead?" he asked.

“Fermented honey," was Loki's brief and terse reply.

Phil swallowed as he realized he wasn't going to be able to stall any longer. “Lo-Lori? Can I have a private word with you? Before we decide if I'm staying?”

Lori frowned at Phil's discomfort, her mind picking over the reasons the gamma would want to speak to her privately. Steeling herself, mostly for more unpleasant news surrounding their stray omega, she nodded to Phil. "Of course. Why don't we step outside, then?"

Phil nodded. Outside was good, as it would allow the strike team a chance to take out Loki without risking Ylva. He followed the alpha out the door; the shapeshifter stopped by a wooden bench well away from the house. 'Lori' turned and sat looking at him expectantly.

"Drop the guise, Loki," he told the alpha. “I know who you are."


	16. Four Minutes

Loki stiffened, an annoyed frown on his female face. Then his expression smoothed as he took his true form again. The jeans and green sweater became the usual armor that Phil remembered from the invading bastard. The black hair shortened to his shoulders. The changes in the face were the most disconcerting; when Phil looked closely, he still saw hints of the alpha he’d wanted to marry.

“So how did you discern my birth form?” Loki asked softly, showing Lori’s wry smile. Except it wasn’t _her_ smile; it was his and always had been.

“Why did you lie to me?” Phil had known the jotun’s actions had hurt him but until he heard the pain in his own tone, he didn’t realize how deeply.

“Would you have spoken to me otherwise?” Loki looked sad - truly sorrowful, which was freaking Phil out a little. He couldn’t detect any guile in the jotun, not that he was sure he could accurately read a centuries-old being.

“You _killed_ me,” he retorted, his hands clenching instinctively. "I was _dead_."

“I remember.” Loki spoke softly, his gaze flitting away from Phil in discomfort before coming back to him. “Will I be permitted to explain? Will you _listen_ to what I would tell you about myself, my motives, and my history?”

“I don’t think you deserve that,” the SHIELD gamma said, knowing that Loki could lie convincingly. _Then why are you here? Why do you want to listen to him?_ Phil knew that somewhere along the way, he’d started to develop feelings for Lori. He wanted to bond with her, and learning that she was really Loki was been painful and confusing.

Loki tipped his head in acknowledgement of Phil’s statement. “I ask only the chance to explain myself. To be judged by you directly rather than by hearsay.”

Phil’s expression wavered and settled into grim compliance. “Fine. You have four minutes.”

“I won’t need that long.” Loki took a deep breath. “When I fell from the Bifrost, I tumbled through space, though the void between worlds. I was found by Thanos. I won’t go into what happened there but when I left his care, I was not in control of myself any longer.”

“How so?” the mortal demanded.

Loki swallowed; he hated to tell this but if Phil were joining his pack, there would be no secrets and no lies. Both of their strengths would be seen by the other, but more than that, both their weaknesses would be visible, too. “My thoughts and desires were no longer my own. They were his.”

“Which is what you then did to other people, including a man under my command.” Though he was angry, Loki wasn’t sure it was at him anymore.

“I can’t describe what the sceptre does to you.” Loki tried to keep his voice steady but the strain was audible. Only the fact that he hoped to take this man for his gamma allowed him to speak about this at all. “You do something that seems right, only looking back, you aren’t sure anymore.”

“Assuming I believe you,” Phil said softly, “why would this Thanos want you in charge of us?”

“He didn’t. He wanted another planet under his sway, held through a puppet ruler.” Loki ignored the anger that always rose in him when he thought of Thanos’s plan. That the powerful alien assumed that he could use the Prince of Asgard as a puppet made his blood burn.

“So why did this guy want Earth?” Phil asked relentlessly.

“He wants everything,” Loki said softly. “Midgard, Asgard - he wants control over every living thing.”

There was a long beat of silence. “So how do we stop him?” Phil asked.

The question pulled Loki out of his thoughts of the past. “You already have once. Oh, he’ll return, not that I know when or how. However, Asgard will defend Midgard, particularly if you’re in my pack.”

“I’m pretty sure Thor’s already covered the alliance between you and us,” the mortal said with a wry smirk.

“Bah! If you believe that, then you haven’t been watching his pack.” Loki shook his head in disgust. “Thor is courting an omega who is insisting on her own beta, and he does nothing to resolve the issue. He won’t work to integrate the second beta, and he lets his beta take her frustration and fears out on his beloved omega. He loves Sif and Jane, and won’t fix the issues. He is acting as if they’ll work something out between them. Unless he acts, his omega will die of old age before the pack is bound.”

Though he dropped the other line of inquiry, Loki could see him mulling over it in the back of his head. “So what’s the story with you and his gamma?” Phil asked.

The jotun stiffened; the truth came out only because he wanted this gamma. “He was mine, first.” Loki swallowed hard. “I found Hogun after his village had been destroyed and I brought him to Asgard. I . . .” He rose quickly and turned his back to the gamma, staring into the darkening woods. Even after all the centuries, the pain of that first betrayal stung like a new wound. “I wanted him to be my gamma, but he choose Thor.”

“So you slept with him to mess with your brother?” The mortal stared at him with narrowed eyes.

“Yes and no.” Loki felt a blush light up his cheeks but he steadfastly continued to share his heart. “I did want to snub my brother covertly. I did enjoy marking Hogun, with his permission, because he was mine first.”

“Do you love him?” Phil asked.

Closing his eyes, the adopted Asgardian bowed his head. “Yes.”

“What about what happened on Asgard?” Phil took a drink from his bottle.

Loki wondered if all of his past sins would be called into account. “I did what I felt I had to. I had my reasons, ones I’ll share when you agree to join with me. They’re private and personal, and some of them are private to my birth pack.”

“Okay. Next question. If I agree to join your pack, you’ll swear to defend Earth?” Phil’s voice had changed distinctly, and Loki turned around, feeling a touch of hope in his chest.

“Yes. If that is the price I must pay to have you, then I will be as much a guardian of Midgard as Thor.” Loki just wouldn’t go trumpeting that information hither and yon like his thick-skulled sibling.

“The price for me?” Phil shook his head. “Thor protects us because it's the right thing to do.”

“No, he defends because he loves your realm through Jane.” Loki knew his brother as well as anyone, and while he believed that Thor was now generous of spirit, he understood the workings of his mind.

Phil was thinking hard, struggling to deal with a Loki that wasn’t lying or trying to kill him, who actually wanted him in his family. In a second, he realized a test he could use on the jotun. “I can’t believe you’d change. You’re using the promise of a pack to deceive me.”

Loki looked furious but picked his words carefully. “It’s not a matter of change, but of my side of the story. I assure you, I have good reasons for each of my actions, if you would care to hear them. As for packs: my parents explained to me the sanctity of the pack bond and I would _never_ violate that.”

“So tell me the story,” Phil said, putting his hands in his pockets. “Explain to me the great reasons you had for all your actions.”

Loki drew a deep breath. “You never knew my brother before his humbling fall to Midgard. I tell you this not to blame him but to help you understand my position in Asgard, for it plays a part. Thor was Odin’s heir and beloved son. I was Mother’s favorite and learned many of the skills that Thor didn’t have patience for. I used to adore Thor and look up to him - to try to gain invitation to his outings with his friends, much like any younger brother.

“By the time that Odin was ready to pass the crown to Thor, he was spoiled.” Loki smiled grimly, his eyes distant as he revisited the past. “On the night of his coronation, I confess that I played a prank in poor taste: I let some jotun into the castle to interrupt his ceremony. I feared what would happen if my brother ascended without being bound into a pack.”

“Why did you worry if your father didn’t seem concerned?” Phil asked sharply.

“Because Odin is declining.” Loki’s voice was sad as he said, “He lost most of his pack more than a millenia ago, and even the AllFather is not immune to the destabilization that occurs in alphas without a pack.”

Phil nodded slowly; the reply made sense to him. That was the problem with Loki: all of his lies were so sweet. “So you saw him raising his unbound son to the throne as a warning sign?”

“One of many. Frigga agreed with me.” A shadow of grief passed over his features. “She encouraged me to find a pack, to present myself as the more suitable heir, but as an alpha who doesn’t match the ideal, I found it hard to find mates who were interested in _me_. There were many who wanted only the crown. Regardless, I did not, and Thor was given the throne. When the jotun disrupted his coronation, he responded by attempting to declare war. That statement led Odin to halt the secession.”

The jotun rubbed his hands together absently as he continued, “Thor decided to attack the jotun. I joined him, but alerted a guard so that Odin would know of his plan. My hope was that the AllFather would pull Thor out before he caused a war. It was mostly successful, and it resulted in Odin banishing Thor to Midgard.

“Odin and I argued about my true lineage, and the stress of that put him into Odinsleep.” Loki paused when he saw the question on Phil’s face. “The powers of the AllFather are very taxing, and he must rest to recover. The Odinsleep is a long period of hibernation, if you will. Odin is helpless during it, yet he sees and hears all.”

“So like a coma,” Phil said, “but with omniscience.”

“I tried to keep Thor on Midgard by lying to him about Odin.” Loki sighed. “Had he returned to take the throne, I feared he would lead us into the very war that Odin opposed. Sif and the Warriors Three intervened, going to Midgard to talk to Thor directly. It was then that Frigga came to me and advised me to unleash the Destroyer. She knew that it could destroy him, yet she knew that Thor must prove himself worthy of Mjolnir and the throne, or die trying.”

“That’s harsh,” Phil commented softly.

“You have not seen the power that Asgard wields in the Nine Realms, and beyond.” Loki looked grave as he spoke. “That power must be handled by someone with a head for responsibility. At the time I sent the Destroyer, that someone was not Thor.

“As the Destroyer ravaged Midgard - for which I belatedly apologize for - I sought peace with Laufey, king of the jotun.” Loki had long ignored the other things Laufey was to him. “He wouldn’t consider peace, so I tricked him into sneaking into the palace where he’d be alone, and killed him.”

“Wasn’t he your father?” Phil asked, his tone blank and careful to not give any sign of his thoughts.

Loki resisted the urge to grimace. “Yes, in the most literal of meanings. Since he abandoned me to die from exposure at birth, I have no great love for him.”

“I can see that.” Phil smiled a little. “Did you know that in the U.S., when someone adopts a child, the child’s birth certificate is changed to show their adoptive parents’ names? In the eyes of the law, that child has the same status as if they were born to that couple. So, is that why you tried to destroy the Jotunheim?”

This time, the Loki did grimace. “That was an error. There is no other way to name it. Everything was falling apart, and all I could think was that Thor was about to plunge us into war. I admit - to you at least - that I panicked. I thought that destroying them would at least avert war, and then Thor couldn’t drag Asgard down through open conflict. I was wrong.”


	17. Something Rare

Phil found himself speechless after that last admission. It was those three words, more than anything else, that proved to him that Loki was sincere. “Okay, then.” Phil smiled at him, feeling oddly shy. “I accept, provisionally.”

“Just like that?” Loki asked, tilting his head in surprise. He’d expected that this would take a lot longer to happen.

“You’re being honest with me. I have a knack for knowing when someone’s lying to me.” Phil shifted awkwardly, wondering if he was supposed to sit down on the bench next to Loki or just stand here. He finally opted to stay on his feet. “More than that, I’ve done some research on you, mostly through your brother and the other Asgardians.”

“Why?” There was one answer that Loki would accept.

“You’re a security threat to Earth.” Phil adjusted his jacket and unintentionally flashed his gun. “But I always remembered what Hogun told me about you. He said that he believed in you until the moment you tried to kill Thor with the Destroyer. He believed you were good, and I could tell he cared about you, even now. No one speaks with that much pain if the hurt was old.”

“Very well.” Loki hid the urge to tumble his new gamma into the grass right now. He rose and reached into his belt pouch. “Until you change your mind, I’d be honored if you’d wear this.” He extended an ornate golden knife to Phil.

Phil stared at the weapon. “So I guess you’re traditional then.” He reluctantly accepted the blade, blinking at its weight. _That’s probably not gilding,_ he thought, brushing his fingers over the gold inlay. The handle was some kind of horn, polished and shaped, and gemstones adorned the hilt and pommel. “I have one request, before I’ll accept permanently.”

“What is that?” Loki asked, worry and hope clenching his gut while making his heart sing.

“Your second gamma has to be Hogun.” Phil was watching him closely.

Loki stiffened and when he spoke, his voice was taut with apprehension. “The selection of gamma is an alpha’s prerogative. Why is that your request?”

“Because, I’ve seen how you talk about him, and how he talks about you.” Phil stared into his eyes. “You wanted me because I’m loyal, and I want him because he’s strong and he cares about you in a way I don’t yet. I want him to show me the side of you that he sees.”

Loki swallowed past the lump in his throat. Phil was wrong about Hogun’s feelings, but the only way to make the gamma believe that was to show him. “I’ll speak with him,” the alpha vowed, refusing to make a promise he didn’t believe he could keep.

“Okay.” Phil gave him another shy smile, the knife still in his hands. “I need to get back to the STRIKE team before they come up here looking for me.”

“I will contact you after I’ve spoken to Hogun.” Loki reached for his gamma; when Phil let him snake a hand around the back of his head, the alpha pulled him close and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Then he whispered in his ear, “Think of me while we are apart, my gamma.”

The SHIELD agent blushed adorably; Loki couldn’t hide his chuckle at the sight. “Only if you think of me,” Phil said, regaining some of his composure.

“I will,” Loki promised. He let go of the other man, and watched him walk down the path, returning to his world and work. The jotun sighed and went into the cabin.

His first sight of Ylva set him back a step. She was sitting on one of the couches, her legs stretched out across the cushions, but there were specks of dirt and twigs hiding along her clothing. “So,” he said with a lazy drawl, “how much did you hear?”

“Hmm?” she asked far too innocently, a guise she managed to keep until he pulled the leaf out of her hair and twirled it in front of her eyes.

She rallied gamely, though, and tilted her head in thought. “Well, it took me about thirty seconds to shimmy a window open silently and then find a good bush to listen from, so: your conversation minus the first thirty seconds.”

“Hphm.” Despite the disapproving noise, his expression was more amused than upset. “So what did you think? Did I defend my honor well enough?”

She shrugged, smiling, “Well, he did agree to be your gamma?” Her tone indicated more a lack of knowing what that was rather than asking if he’d actually agreed. “So it seems so.” She scrunched her nose cutely and added, “Also, you two look adorable together.”

Loki flushed slightly and cleared his throat. “I guess it’s good that _someone_ approves. I doubt anyone else will.”

“So, _ríða þeim_.” The Ljósálfur expletive rolled easily off her tongue and she grinned at him. “You two are happy together, right? Other people can mind their own business.”

“It’s not my sensibilities I worry about,” he told her. “Indeed, as far as I’m concerned, most of those people can follow your suggestion. Phil has a position among his people, many of whom don’t care for me.”

She frowned, then shrugged again. “Either they’ll respect his ability to make his own decisions, or he didn’t have their true respect in the first place.”

Loki chuckled drily. “Ah, but it is easy to say that, yet hard to live with if it causes you distress. I don’t worry about what it will cost him, for I know that I’ll spend my life giving him everything he lost and more.  I worry they will pressure him away from me, no matter how I explain myself. The ties of the pack are seen to supersede everything else in this realm.”

She pulled up into herself on the couch, laying her arms on her knees and resting her head there, her expression turning moody. “I wonder what that’s like.”

“In truth, I wouldn’t know myself.” Loki watched her for a moment before flopping onto another chair and kicking his feet out in front of him. “I have ever wondered what my pack would be, who the members would be, when I’d find them. Yet I have no idea what that final feeling, that of being bound, will be. My mother Frigga once told me it’s like having warmth touching your mind all the time. That no matter what else, you couldn’t be forsaken. Of course, death can sever the link, and did for her, yet her face still glowed when she spoke of it, and her smile was full of glorious secrets. They were just ones she could never put words to.”

She smiled at him, but it was wistful and sad. “Your mother sounds nice.” She seemed about to say something else, but she hesitated and then fell silent.

“Yes, she was.” He paused a heartbeat before murmuring, “Her death hit us all very hard, particularly me. She was my advocate before the AllFather, my teacher, and my mother. Does it bother you for me to speak of her?”

She shook her head, trying for a reassuring smile. “Not at all. I’d rather everyone else had good mothers and happy childhoods, than what I did. I don’t _want_ people to know what that was like, not from their own experience.”

“You do know that I would have pulled you from that, if I had known that you were suffering.” He gave her a sad smile. “No one should be raised by a single parent.” He had no doubt that Ylva’s life would have been better if her mother had been part of a pack. Her mother wouldn’t have been so unstable, in his opinion.

She looked away from him, hiding her face behind her arms. After a moment, he heard a muffled, “Thanks,” from her.

He shrugged modestly. “Odin’s attempts to teach me morals did not fall on barren ground. Ylva, I can’t imagine a man or woman of Asgard who would be unmoved by your plight. Bah!” He sat up suddenly. “We’re being maudlin. Come, I will grant you something rare: ask me one thing, anything, and I shall answer it.”

Her head came up quickly and she studied him intently. Finally she asked, "How do you command the magics you know?"

Loki’s sad smile returned. “That was another gift of my mother, Frigga. She was a powerful Vanir sorceress, wiser than Odin in her own way. I had a gift, Thor did not. Now a question in return: why do you ask?”

"I want to learn. The Ljósálfur have magic and the hobgoblins do too. Humans don't and so we're easy prey." Her hands balled into fists on her knees. "I never want to be so powerless again. I lost so many years of my life because I was weak and others were strong with their magics."

“I doubt you were weak, Ylva.” The jotun sat back once more, musing over her answer in the back of his mind as he continued to say, “You were a child thrust into horrible circumstances, yet you survived. You did so without magic, even.” He gave her a quick, flippant grin. “I’m not sure I’d want you to know magic, it seems you are dangerous enough without it.”

She didn't smile back at him; instead she wrapped her arms around her legs and shuddered. "You don't know what it's like, to be helpless. To know that the only reason you're alive is because someone else finds your pain _entertaining._ Sometimes surviving _is_ the worst thing that happens to you. Especially if you know it can happen all over again."

Loki watched her for a moment, indecision eating at his mind. “I have never taken a student before, and I’m not sure it is something I’d wish to do.” It was certainly nothing he’d considered. “In truth, Frigga asked me not to share her secrets, save with the children of my own pack.”

She closed her eyes and nodded, a rueful look flashing over her features before being quickly subsumed into a more neutral expression. She stayed silent, too polite and too accustomed to being powerless over what she wanted in life to push the matter.

“Don’t.” Loki leaned over and caught her wrist for a heartbeat, long enough to pull her eyes back to him. “If you wish to argue with me, then do it. But don’t act like a beaten dog. I’ll not harm you for asking or even pushing for what you want from me.”

Her eyes widened in startlement and she flushed at being so easily read. "Why not?" she asked; she'd never known someone in a position of power that didn't use that power to keep those around them obedient.

“Only the weak-willed need to beat others down to feel powerful.” He smirked a little as he relaxed, removing the vehemence from his voice. “Besides, subservience is sweeter when given freely, not taken.”

“Why would someone be willingly subservient?” The concept seemed bizarre to her, having experienced only subjugation in her life.

“Many alphas feel a desire to have their pack members show subservience.” He rose suddenly and went to the kitchen, getting another bowl of chili as he spoke. “Most of us manage to subsume the desire and not seek it in everyday life. We make games of it, particularly in the bedroom. It answers our instincts without turning us into overbearing monsters.”

“So, all Ljósálfur are alphas that don’t bother to control themselves?” Her tone was biting, but she added in a more considering voice, “Except they don’t form packs. Perhaps that’s why they want human slaves?”

“Packs allow an alpha an outlet for his aggression, but as I recall light elves don’t have the usual four genders. They only have the two sexes. That’s likely the reason they are different.” He grimaced a little. “It’s very bizarre but they keep breeding, so it must work for them.”

“What are the four genders?” she asked. “Alpha and omega and. . .?”

“Alpha, beta, omega, and gamma,” he said.

“Alphas are in charge, omegas. . .” she grimaced and rolled her eyes, “apparently are supposed to be pregnant all the time. What do the others do?”

“Betas care for the pack as a whole, while gammas defend it.” Loki smiled thinly, wondering what he’d done to have to have ‘the talk’ with a grown omega. “And I wouldn’t say alphas are in charge, as much as they are responsible for the well-being of the pack. If they don’t have food or shelter, it’s the alpha’s failure.”

“So, you’re an alpha and Phil is a gamma. I’m an omega, you said. How do you tell? Are all men alphas or gammas and all women omegas and betas?” She was a little more relaxed now, trying to learn at least a little of what her mother’s selfishness had denied her in education. Still, she stayed curled up on the couch, her expression threaded through with notes of melancholy and wistfulness.

“Not at all.” Loki silently cursed her mother for not even teaching her the basics of biology. “Your sex only determines if you carry a child or impregnate others, while your gender determines your role in the pack. I’m not terribly familiar with Midgardian norms, so I’ll leave that to Phil. On Asgard, a male alpha is a leader and provider, while a female will lead in non-military roles. Male betas work outside the home in caretaking professions, while female stay home and care for the family. Male gammas are warriors and female gamma fill support positions in the military. However, both male and female omegas are to be not just the creator of children, but the entertainers and the shining jewel of the family. I know it’s different here; if I recall correctly, your sex has less impact on your life than your gender. As for how you know, it’s by scent. You’ll understand what I mean as you’re exposed to more people.”

She made a face and shook her head. “I’m a terrible dancer.” It was a weak joke, but it at least it was an attempt. She looked up at him, her eyes dark and considering. “What would you want from me, to teach me magic?”

Loki pursed his lips. “You’d need to be part of my pack, Ylva. I mean no disrespect; indeed, it is out of respect to my mother that I cannot.”

She tilted her head, thinking, then asked the dangerous question. “What would that mean? How do you join someone’s pack?”


	18. Practice

_Oh, no. What have I done?_

Keeping his exterior composure calm, Loki said, “You’d be my omega. While I could have more than one in my pack, I have no desire to be a polygamist.”

“Do you already have an omega?” Her tone was still calm, but he’s seen that look in a person’s eyes before. Usually his own, when he was planning a particularly intricate prank or puzzling over a new, complex spell.

“I do not, but then I barely have a single gamma.” Seeing that single answer wasn’t enough without the cultural context, he continued, “The usual pattern to establish a pack is to find your gammas, then your beta, and last your omega. Since the omega is usually the child-bearing or fathering member of your family, adding them last means that your family and resources are well-established by the time a child would come.”

“Do you _have_ to do it that way?” she pressed, then frowned and licked her lips. More quietly she asked, “Do you have to have children because an omega joins the pack? Or is that just what people expect?”

“In part, yes, that’s what they expect,” he admitted, feeling vaguely trapped. “In truth, I want children, and an omega who doesn’t or isn’t compatible with me is not the right omega for me.”

Her expression fell again and she huddled in further on herself. Very quietly admitted, "I don't know if I can have children, since I haven't had one of those heats you talked about. And even if I did, they might be. . .” she reached up and touched the tip of one of her ears.

“There are worse things than to be part elf,” he said lightly. “My children will be part-jotun.”

“Jotun?” she asked. “Those are your birth people?”

“Yes.” Her questions about joining his pack made him a little more forthcoming than normal.

“And they’re like humans? With the genders and the packs?” She gave him a small, crooked smile. “And they don’t impress you?”

“Yes, they have genders and packs, but the jotuns are uniformly a brutish species.” Loki set aside his empty bowl, stacking it in the sink. “I couldn’t find anyone I liked.”

“You’ll put together a good pack,” she said with confidence. “You’re good at providing, even if for random strays that wander into your life.” She looked away and sighed, blowing a lock of hair away from her face. “So, do packs ever take in omegas if it turns out that they’re _not_ fertile?”

“I’ve never heard of an infertile omega, not a permanently infertile one.” Loki watched her carefully. “Their reproductive systems are highly resistant to deficiencies.”

“Have you ever heard of a fertile half-elf? You said Odin made them stop a long time ago, but before that?” He couldn’t tell if she sounded hopeful or was just being curious; she wasn’t quite looking at him and she still had her arms wrapped around her legs.

“Historically, gammas were made into half-elves. The omegas taken were to breed new slaves,” Loki said, his expression becoming thoughtful. “So why did he turn you?”

She uncoiled at that, laying back on the couch with her feet dangling off. She drummed her fingers against her stomach as she recounted, “When Ovidr first brought me to his estate, he gave me food and my own room. I was left on my own for a while, a couple of weeks I think, but I wasn’t allowed to leave the room. One day a man, another slave, came into my room and attacked me. I fought back, but he wouldn’t stop attacking me. Eventually I killed him. I don’t remember what happened immediately after that, but a little while later Ovidr had me spar with some of his other gladiators. He said that I had a talent for fighting and he wanted to preserve me. That if I did as he said and won enough fights, that I would live in luxury for the rest of my life. That I would be taken care of and be special to him, and to others. And that I would live as long as his kind did. After about five months, he gave me the _rogn vin_ and my first piercing.”

“That man, that slave,” Loki said slowly, “did his scent remind you of mine? Was there a certain heat to it or a draw?”

She frowned, trying to remember; she stood up after a moment and padded over to him. Hesitantly, she leaned in and sniffed at him. “I...guess? I don’t remember very well. Mostly he smelled like sweat and dirt. You smell like October; like morning frost and falling leaves.” She retreated from his personal space and curled up on the couch again. “I do remember that he seemed really large and . . . intense? I remember being scared by him even before he attacked me. He kept trying to hold me down, but I was much faster than him and more agile. I’d seen people fight at the Goblin Market, too, so I knew where humans were vulnerable.”

Loki stared at her, considering. Her inability to recall all the details combined with her attacker’s actions left open a possibility. “Ylva, you may have been in heat, and that man wasn’t trying to attack you. He was trying to bre- to rape you.”

“Oh,” Ylva said, not sure how to respond to that. “Was...was it wrong to kill him, then?”

Loki sighed. “Depends on who you ask. However, you were right to defend yourself, no matter the outcome, or whether he had control of himself.”

“So, how do I find out if I’m fertile or not?” she asked, circling back to how to get what she thought would keep her safe from her former owner.

“Ylva, if you bind to my pack, it will be for as long as you live.” Loki frowned at her, visions of his omega getting what knowledge she could obtain before breaking her bonds and fleeing filling his head. “You won’t be able to leave, even once you’re satisfied with your training and knowledge.”

“So I would belong to you then.” She spoke quietly, her eyes distant again as she considered that. Loki _seemed_ better than Ovidr and from the way human packs had been described - and the difference in her life span now and a normal human’s - finding a human pack wasn’t much of an upgrade from living as a slave in the mistlands either.

“And that is a decision you should think long and hard on.” Loki didn’t know if he wanted her for an omega; she was beautiful and strong. She smelled sweet and fertile. Despite all of that, he barely knew her. The omega was the cornerstone of the pack and their selection was paramount to the overall goal of a pack: children. “If you wish, we can arrange for an examination. I might be able to call upon a mortal omega I know who is a doctor.”

She nodded at his offer, though she wondered if she was still human enough for a doctor from Earth to do any good for her. "What else would you tell me to do, if I belong to you? You said in Asgard that omegas are for entertainment. Would you send me back to the arena?"

Loki laughed, surprised by her question. “No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t _send_ you anywhere. When I say entertain, I mean singing, dancing, or just being witty. As the omega of a prince of Asgard, you’d be expected to socialize with the other nobles. You’d have to learn those skills, as would any mortal omega,” he added before she took that as a personal insult.

"Ovidr generally didn't let me speak around the other lords and ladies," she muttered, then added, "Not that I knew anything to talk about other than combat. What do nobles in Asgard socialize about?"

“Anything, really.” Loki sat back, trying to remember how the parties he’d attended had gone. After a moment, he self-consciously laughed and admitted, “I never really talked to any of the omegas at the parties I bothered to show up for. I wasn’t very popular among the nobles, either.”

She looked lost again and wondered out loud, “How do I learn all that, then?”

Loki shrugged unhelpfully. “I haven’t a clue. Ylva, tell me true: do you want to be in my pack, or do you want my magic?”

“I want. . .” She stopped and was quiet for quite some time. Finally, she sat up very straight and focused completely on him. “Since I was old enough to have any idea of what a pack was and that I was different because I wasn’t in one, I’ve wanted to know what it was like. To be a part of a family, not just someone’s way of getting money. Since I was sold, I’ve wanted to be free.” She frowned, “It doesn’t seem like those two can go together, but being a slave to a lord of the Ljósálfur is much worse than what it sounds like being the omega of a pack is. I don’t know anything about children - I don’t really know anything about most everything - but I learn quickly.”

She sighed and ran her hand over her face. “Of course, none of that matters if it turns out that I’m infertile anyways.” She waved the thought away, “I like the idea of being able to do magic. It sounds interesting and it would make it less likely that anyone could ever enslave me again.” She smiled sadly at him, “I’ve never gotten to learn something before just because I _wanted_ to. So, I guess both?”

“Well, a beta cares for the children, anyway.” Loki elected to not tell her that was because omegas were considered too air-headed to handle the demanding task of raising offspring. “I’m not going to say no to your proposal. If you want to consider yourself my omega, we can say it's so, and you’re welcome to remain close to me and benefit from that position. When I’ve assembled the rest of the pack, we’ll revisit the question. I imagine at the least, we’ll know each other better.”

This was so awkward, and not the way he’d envisioned gaining an omega.

She gave him a confused look. "I don't understand. Are you saying you want to _temporarily_ own me, but maybe send me away once you have the rest of your pack?"

The jotun managed to flush and pale at the same time, possibly the most amazing thing Ylva had seen him do yet. “Is that what you think I mean!” Though technically a question, his voice didn’t have the right intonation, and he didn’t wait for an answer. “Ylva, I’m not looking for a group of slaves. I’m looking for a _family_. I have a terrible task ahead of me, and I need a faithful, strong pack at my back. I won’t have slaves.”

She startled back from him, genuinely surprised by his reaction. Unlike a stereotypical omega, though, she didn't cringe or cower; instead her hands had instinctively reached for the swords she was so used to wearing. "You...you said I would...belong to the pack?"

“Yes, as a _member_ of it, not an object owned by it.” Loki saw her uneasy movements and forced himself to calm. “Ylva, I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that you’d be a possession, of mine or anyone’s. Yes, members of a pack will use possessive terms when talking of the pack but it should never imply ownership. I understand this is new to you and I want to help you. I don’t want to own you.”

Her confusion only deepened. "But you said I wouldn't be able to leave. How is that different than being a slave?" She sighed and scrubbed at her face, clearly frustrated herself. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be stupid, I just don't know how any of this works and I guess everything I do know is pretty messed up. Maybe _I'm_ too messed up. For a pack. For not being a slave. For whatever."

“You have been messed with, Ylva.” He reminded himself once more that she had no idea how anything worked. “You won’t be able to leave because of the pack bond. In truth, the bonds can be broken once created. I never want to experience that, however, so I would work to prevent you from leaving: try to find out why you’d want to leave and repair the problem. To be clear, I really meant that I wouldn’t be willing to bring you into the family only to lose you when you learned magic. If you’re in, I want it to be forever.”

"So...you meant like a...a...practice?" She chewed thoughtfully on her lip, then nodded. "I could try, but like I said, I don't know much about anything but fighting. And lying to slave-owning arrogant bastards, I guess. Do you think you can put up with showing me how to be an omega? How to be in a pack?" She bit her lip harder and asked, "Do you think Phil will be okay with this?"

“In truth, I don’t know.” Loki didn’t look too worried by the question. “I haven’t broached the topic with him, but I imagine he’ll have questions about how you came to decide to be my omega.” The mortal would likely worry about his well-known power of influence on the suggestible half-elf.

She stood and squared her shoulders, her expression resolute. "Well, I need to learn quickly, then, so I know the proper way to answer him." She gave Loki a wry smile and a lighthearted eyeroll. "Unlike this conversation. So, what's the first lesson for a pack omega?"

“When you talk to Phil, I want you to be completely honest with him. There are no lies between pack members.” Loki worried about her willingness to be given the right answer, and he reminded himself once more that she was used to being told what to think and feel on any given subject. “Just tell him why you want to be our omega. He’ll likely have objections, but if he does, we can work through them.”

Her smile lightened to something between teasing and soothing. “I meant the words. So I don’t mistake what he means because my mother was a heartless bitch and my childhood included pretty much nothing one could term an education.” She gave an irritated sigh and motioned to the bookshelves scattered around the living space. “I don’t even know how to read.”

“Then that is where we’ll start.” Loki went to the bookshelf and selected a book, a simple one. Turning, he realized he was being presumptuous and stopped. “If you would like to, Ylva.”

“I’d love to,” she said softly, looking a bit bashful now. “Thank you, Loki.”


	19. Great Hunt

The Arch flared with lightning, the forks of energy twining over the curving structure. Rumbles shook the area once more, making one of the workers inside the shop look up and mutter, “Not again!”

The manager started to evacuate the Arch, directing guests away from the building. No one had been hurt last time, and he wanted to keep it that way. He’d just started to recall the elevator that went up into the Arch when he heard screaming outside.

These weren’t the cries he’d heard when the other woman had arrived, and he went to the doors, peering up the steps. Some primal instinct kept him inside, behind the bulletproof glass. He saw a woman clutching two children run past the top of the stairs, followed by a rider on horseback.

Before the attack on New York, he would have doubted his eyes. Now, he was ready to accept the impossible. With a click, he locked the doors and slipped back into the store to hide. He was in the back when he heard the nightmarish scream of metal ripping like paper.

Outside, the last of the riders passed through the portal; the Arch twisted on itself, looking more like a roller coaster. The twenty horsemen milled around the area, cutting down the fleeing mortals. The Huntsman gazed around the area, content to watch his hunters have their fun. Around the legs of his black horse, the great hounds circled, their heavy white bodies quivering with anticipation.

When he judged that they’d had enough entertainment, he lifted his horn and blew a sharp note. The hunters galloped back, their horses tossing their heads and their riders boasting of their kills. The Huntsman snorted at their claims of easy prey. “Feliena,” he called to the houndmaster. “Give them the scent.”

As she knelt among the red-eared hounds, Terinal sidled up to the Huntman’s side. “This does not look like Midgard,” he said, tossing the furs off his shoulders. “Where is the snow?”

“You confuse Midgard with Jotunheim,” the Huntsman said, glaring at Terinal. The soft golden-hued elf shrank back from the glare in his cold silver eyes. The reins creaked as the Huntsman tightened his fingers. “These short-lived mortals change faster than melting snow.”

The hounds bayed, a cacophony of noise that left any remaining mortals fleeing in fear. “They have the scent, my lord,” the half-elf said, vaulting back into her saddle. A fresh bite on her hand bled freely.

He leaned over and caught her arm. His white skin stood out against her dark coloring, like shadows covering the earth. “Are you getting slow, my bitch-keeper?”

“They are eager for the hunt, my lord.” She spoke neutrally, all sense of defiance long burnt out of her. “The blood will only improve their desire.”

He released her and nodded. “Let them fly.”

Feliena cupped her hands and shouted, “ _Veiði!_ ” In a blur of motion, the great dogs leapt into action, dashing toward the west. To the humans, they were little more than a streak of white, and the riders following were a tail of white and gold. The half-elf rode just behind the Huntsman, in her place. Her black elven horse ran faster than the wind, and she clung to it with the ease of centuries. She glanced back once, to see the light elves riding together. It had been long since there had been a Great Hunt, and even longer since the Hunt had ridden on Midgard.

~  *  ~  *  ~

“What’s the situation?” Coulson asked as he entered the bridge on the heliocarrier.

“More offworlders, came through the Arch again.” Hill looked at him. “This time, they destroyed it.”

“What kind of offworlders?” Fury asked as he entered, still pulling his jacket straight.

Hill glanced at him. “Unknown, but superficially similar to the ones who fought Thor in London.”

Phil stared at a map, watching the red dot cross the United States. “How fast are they going?” he asked, his stomach clenching as he realized they were headed right for Loki’s cabin.

A pale-faced technician called, “Oh my god, about nine hundred miles an hour.”

Phil did the math in his head, quickly. He could just make it, if he left now. Loki had no phone; that was a problem he was fixing, today. First, he had to get there, had to defend his pack. “Director,” he turned, his voice taut with stress and need. “They must be after Ylva - and my alpha’s there.”

Fury was the only person who didn’t show surprise. Phil had told him right after he’d accepted Loki’s offer, though not the identity of the alpha. “Take a Quinjet,” Fury ordered, “and a STRIKE team.”

“With all due respect,” Phil said as he started to leave, “I won’t take men to their deaths.”

“Just your own death, right?” Fury called after him.

“I won’t take SHIELD agents to die for my pack.” Phil paused long enough to add, “My suggestion is to use the STRIKE teams to help civilians in St. Louis.” Then he was hurrying away toward the armory. He stopped and grabbed a familiar weapon, then ran for the hanger. He was almost there when he heard boots behind him.

Hill dashed in, a duffelbag over her shoulder. “I’m coming with you,” she said.

“No, you’re not.” The last thing Phil needed was for people to find out who his alpha was.

“You don’t have time to argue,” Hill snapped as she charged into the nearest quinjet, “and even if you take another plane, I’m following. I have too much respect for you to let you run off alone to die.”

She was right; arguing with her would take time. “Fine,” he said moving past her and taking a seat at the controls. She took the co-pilot seat and helped him race through the startup checks. The few minutes it took seemed to last forever.

Once they were in the air, Hill glanced at him and added, “Besides, this is the best way to check out your mystery alpha.”

He gave her a sharp glare. _Be careful what you wish for, Maria._

~  *  ~  *  ~

“Ég er mest slægur guðanna,

Og eldur er gjöf sem ég gaf,

Ég er fljótari en vindurinn,

Og enginn jafnast brellur sem ég hef spilað.”

Loki smiled at the half-elf and arched a brow. “How much are you actually reading and how much have you just memorized?”

“How can I learn if _remembering_ is a problem?” She sighed in frustration and set the book of poems down, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. “I read it aloud, I remember the words.”

“Remembering is good,” he said, leaning over the back of the couch and putting a hand on her shoulder. “You learn quickly. We’ll just have to find more for you to read for your practice.”

She leaned her head back, looking up at him, “I think learning how to kill people and please a crowd was much easier. More bruises, but less headaches.”

He chuckled and offered, “Perhaps a break, then? We could spar; then you’ll have bruises _and_ a headache.”

She practically leapt up from the sofa, grinning at the challenge. “Hah! Only if you can lay a hand on-”

Loki held up a hand sharply and she cut her words off immediately. “Do you hear that?” he asked.

Instead of answering, she made quick, silent steps through the living room, grabbing up her swords and belting them on. She grimaced as she glanced at her armor - there simply wasn’t time to put it on. _Again, I am weaker because I have no magic!_

The jotun went and opened the door, just as a very small airplane landed right in front of the house. He drew his knife and disappeared just as the back hatch lowered. Phil stood in the doorway, carrying a small cannon. The woman behind him was unfamiliar, but she walked like a warrior. Her large bag had several weapon-like protrusions.

Phil turned toward Ylva, his voice urgent. “Where is he?”

The omega had pulled the swords when the door open, and even though it was a familiar face, she hadn’t yet relaxed. She gave a slight shrug, and demanded in return, “What is going on?”

“There’s a group of twenty or so inbound hostiles.” Phil went to the nearest window and locked it as the woman shut and bolted the door. “They came through a portal using the Arch like you did. Any ideas?”

Outside, they heard the shrill bay of a hound, followed by the terrifying bellow of a horn.

“Ovidr,” the half-elf spat. “He has sent a Great Hunt for me. You must leave, Phil. They will kill you just for sport.”

The gamma shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere, Ylva. This is my alpha’s house, and I’m not leaving without him.”

“I fear running will do no good anyway,” Loki said as he reappeared in the room. The strange woman spun, a gun in her hand. Smiling, the alpha merely said, “Hello, Agent Hill.”

“Loki, you must take them to safety, as you brought us here. The Huntsman will kill anyone they find with me, or worse, take them back to the mistlands.” She gave the jotun and wan smile, “They were good days. I thank you for them.”

“Ylva, I’m the dramatic one,” Loki told her calmly. “If you’re not coming, no one is leaving - save Agent Hill, should she desire it.”

She shook her head. “I am not actually your omega, Loki. This is more than I thought he would do. A servant or assassin sent to retrieve me, maybe, but that is a _Hunt_. They will not stop until I am theirs or all of the Hunt is dead. We cannot stand against them all.” She moved towards the front door, shooting her host a pleading look. “Please, Loki. You have more to do in life than die for a slave.”

“Omega?” Phil said sharply.

“Loki?” Hill snapped at Phil.

The male gamma resisted the urge to grimace. “Long story.”

“Not really. I asked, he said yes.” The subject of Hill’s ire turned to his omega. “We do not leave pack behind. Stop asking us to leave, Ylva, and prepare yourself for war.”

She had no time for a response; the east-facing window smashed inward and a massive dog jumped through. Shaking the glass from its white fur, it pinned red-painted ears and snarled at everyone. It’s eyes flickered quickly to Ylva and it tensed to lunge.

Two flares of fire, one normal and one green, slammed into the dog and threw it back through the wall below the shattered window. Loki looked over at Phil’s weapon. “Ah, you brought _that_.”

“I know what it does now,” he said with a grin. “The fire-thing is new.”

“Yes, it is,” the jotun replied.

Hill ducked around both of them and aimed a large gun out the new opening. The SHIELD agent could just see a line of white animals running toward them. Behind them was a pack of horsemen, moving at terrifying speed. “Incoming!” she shouted and fired a grenade from her gun. A few of the hounds disappeared in an explosion but the others kept coming.

A blur of green and brown moved between the humans and the hounds that had made it through the window, twin silver arcs tracing through the air. A spray of deep purple followed after each arc and two of the hounds fell to the ground, their heads rolling in separate directions. Ylva moved with preternatural grace and speed, already out of Phil and Maria’s line of sight before the next wave could make its way through the broken window.

“Save some ammo - or whatever - for the big guys!” Hill yelled. Phil tossed her a bemused look, but she wasn’t talking to him. She had no idea what training the other two had, beyond she knew Loki was a massive asshole. Then she was too busy putting 5.56 mm bullets through bears shaped like mastiffs. Putting down the dozen or so monsters left emptied her clip.

“The Huntsman will come soon enough,” Ylva countered, speaking quickly. “He will not leave my capture or death to the Hounds or Hunters.”

“Then we’ll be ready for him.” Loki pressed himself to the wall next to the new door and disappeared from sight as four more hounds pressed their way through. He couldn’t help but notice how fierce and violent the two SHIELD gammas were. Shoulder to shoulder, Maria and Phil were exacting warriors, battling with their Midgardian weapons. Ylva was an oddly powerful warrior despite her gender, flowing through stances and leaving bodies in her wake. Loki felt pride rise in him as they fought.

A horse pushed into the room, a small dark form on it's back. Inside the spacious room, the animal reared, its fore hooves kicking at Maria’s head. The brave gamma held her ground, ducking just enough to avoid the devastating blows.

Loki stepped forward and cut across the back of the horse’s legs in one blow. The action made him visible again, but he’d done what was needed: he’d removed the Huntsman’s advantage. The horse’s rear legs collapsed. it’s screams making the jotun wince. The rider rolled off and came up to her feet--

Loki paused. _Something’s wrong. She isn’t armed._ Ylva’s eyes widened in horror as she stared over his shoulder. The jotun spun, just as black hooves slammed into his chest and rode him to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we want to get to know our readers better and we want you to get to know us (and our other works)! Starting this chapter, we'll be posting questions with each update, along with links to our other works on other sites. Talk to us!
> 
> So, for the questions this time:
> 
> 1) Who's your favorite Bound character so far and why?
> 
> 2) What's been your favorite plot or scene in the fiction so far? Why? What would you like to see more or less of in the story?
> 
>  
> 
> Now for links!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over twenty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!


	20. Trophy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I didn't have access to my desktop yesterday. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

“Loki!” Phil screamed, raising his gun. The blast of flame from it tore through the horse’s head but the rider blocked it with a shield. The gamma watched with horror as the dead horse dropped on top of his alpha. Next to him, Maria opened fire, the bullets impacting him but not causing wounds. 

Ylva used the distraction of the gammas to sidle behind the Huntsman, hopefully unnoticed. She switched her grip on the blades, kicking off from the wall to give her the height necessary to strike downward on the Huntsman. She aimed for the small sliver of space between the back of the Huntsman breastplate and his helmet; she couldn’t decapitate him in one blow as she had with the Hounds, but severing the spine was still a fatal blow - if she could make it.

He turned at the last moment and her blades rebounded off his shoulder guard. He spun and she saw a hint of a grin as he said, “Time to return home, half-child.”

“Never,” she hissed, bouncing back to crouch on the ground.

The horse on the ground heaved to one side as Loki rolled it off of his prone body. “The omega is mine,” he rasped, blood trailing down his face as he staggered upright. This wasn’t the way he’d meant to tell Phil, but he had to respond to the challenge.

Other hunters were crowding in behind the Huntsman, and Maria went far to the left to open up new shooting angles. A quick burst drove them back; they weren’t as impervious as the leader. Her shots forced them to hide behind trees and rocks as their horses scattered, moving away from the fighting. A dark form dropped on her from above and ended the hail of gunfire; the hunter was dressed in all black and nearly invisible in the rafters. 

Phil stepped forward and grabbed the black form on Maria. It wasn’t exactly an elf in black clothing; it had an extra set of arms and too many joints in all its limbs. It didn’t release her when Phil pulled. The creature was holding tight to her, its mouth against her neck. 

“Cut at the joints!” Ylva called out to Phil, unable to come to the gamma woman’s help. She and Loki were flanking the Huntsman; losing that advantage would likely mean both their deaths. “If you have a strategy to live through this, I am ready to learn,” she said urgently to Loki.

“Attack!” he shouted as he pressed his assault with the knife. Ylva found herself doubling her efforts against the Huntsman, but the creature moved like light and held off both her and Loki. Had her alpha been better-armed, he might have been able to gain the upper hand. Instead, he struggled to get inside the weapon’s reach.

Phil dropped the gun and pulled the very illegal switchblade from his pocket. He snapped out the blade and jammed it into the things nearest shoulder joint. The leather armor it wore did nothing to stop his attack, and the thing lifted its head with a screech. Bright blood blossomed from the bite on Maria’s neck. She wasn’t out though; her teeth bared, she pressed her pistol against its chin and pulled the trigger. The monster’s head exploded in a red goo.

Phil picked up her gun and started to pelt the invaders pressing at the door to keep them at bay. He wasn’t sure they were going to win this one.  _ At least I’m going down with my alpha. _ To his surprise, the thought made him smile.

Maria pulled herself up, using his leg for support. Phil forced the hunters to remain in cover until she could find another gun in her bag. “Help Loki,” she gasped, “preferably into the next life.”

Phil turned but Loki barked, “Stay there! I have a plan!” 

The Huntsman laughed as he parried another blow from Ylva. “It shall fail, jotun prince. Perhaps your brother could have beaten me, but then he was always the better of you two.”

Loki’s eyes glittered. “Thor is not better than me.” He rolled forward, between the Huntsman’s legs and stood up next to Ylva. 

The elven warrior turned to face his two opponents, a wide grin visible under his helmet. “So you say, but  _ he  _ would have not have given up the advantage of flanking!”

“You’re right.” Loki spoke as his illusion disappeared, showing him to still be behind the Huntsman. With a grunt, he leapt and wrapped an arm around the massive warrior’s neck. The motion drew a cry of pain from him as his battered chest impacted the warrior’s wall-like back. Using his position, he jammed the knife into the Huntsman’s neck, in the spot he’d seen Ylva try for earlier. Hot blood showered his face and chest as the elf’s spine severed under his blade. 

The Huntsman dropped to his knees and Loki dropped to his feet. “Ylva,” he gasped, doubling over. “Take its head.”

Her blades arced again, two cuts neatly severing the Huntsman from his head. She grabbed it by the hair and tossed it to Loki as he soon as he stood upright again. The battlefield had paused with the death of the Huntsman, the other elves hesitating between breaking and fighting the younger son of Asgard for the right to be the new Huntsman. The gun fire from Maria and Phil petered off as the flow of the battle slowed.

“Your leader is dead!” Loki shouted, holding the head. “Go home, tell your master that the Prince of Asgard has taken his life. Those who don’t leave, will die with him!”

A few of the elves ran. Smarter or more cautious than their allies, they decided that no title or acclaim was worth risking death. Others knew the reputation of the younger prince: he was no warrior, living by treachery and lies. The title of Huntsman had much power, and offered many luxuries to its holder. There stood the weakling prince, just holding the horn-crowned helm like a trophy to be taken.

Ylva had never stopped moving, her motions so swift they began to blur to the human eye. Two of the elves that stayed payed the price of their arrogance when she cut them down from behind.  _ Loki makes a wonderful distraction. Stupid nobles, don’t they know the first rule of the arena? Never take your eyes off your enemies. _

Phil and Maria were of the same mindset at her, and another two elves went down, shot. Loki watched the gammas and, disturbingly, his omega cut down the invaders. “I need a bigger knife,” he murmured.

“Screw that, you need a gun,” Phil told him, picking another one off. 

With startling suddenness, they were alone. Loki looked around just to be sure, then sat down suddenly. The illusion of the cozy log cabin faded and became a barn, while Loki’s armor disappeared in a flare of light. Twin hoof marks were clear on his shirt, outlined in blood. 

Ylva gave the barn a startled glance, then stalked an inside perimeter to ensure none of the fleeing elves had tried to hide just outside. The half-elf woman that had been tumbled from the white horse was cowering in a corner, trying to make herself as small as possible. Ylva grabbed her up by the arm, dragging her into the center of the space. “Stay put or we will kill you.”

She didn’t bother to wait for an answer; she turned back to the others, assessing their wounds. “Do you need a healer, Loki? Perhaps the doctor you had mentioned taking me to?” She nodded to other woman, including her in her question but they hadn’t been introduced yet so she didn’t know what to call her.

“I’ll be fine, in time.” A beta would have been cutting his shirt off already, but the alpha was assertive enough in his statement that the gammas didn’t argue. “Thank you, Agent Hill, for coming to help.”

“I wouldn’t have,” she lied, “if I’d known who Phil’s potential alpha was.”

Loki raised an eyebrow. “Nevertheless, you have my gratitude. Ylva and I would have been in trouble if you hadn’t interceded.”

Maria stared at him for a moment, then turned to Phil. “Does the Director know?” 

“No.” Phil straightened. “I’ll tell him.”

“It’s not his business, not until the pack is bound.” Loki spoke calmly but there was a flicker of annoyance in his expression.

Ylva frowned at the tension between her protectors. “Agent Hill needs medical attention. The _ kónguló dauða  _ feeds on blood; the blood will keep flowing unless the wound is staunched. It is a small bite, but it can kill if left untreated.” 

There was a beat as the group instinctively waited for a beta to step forward and start caregiving. Loki pushed himself upright and murmured, “I’ll get the bandages.”

“What if I don’t trust you at my throat?” she asked sharply.

He paused in mid-motion. “I owe you my life, and that of my omega’s. Whatever you may think of me, know that I’m not a bad alpha. There are two sides to every story.”

“There are three,” Maria countered. “Yours, mine, and the truth. So, you just expect to be forgiven for what you did to New York?”

“If I explain, will you listen?” he asked. “Or shall you bleed to death while we argue? Agent Hill, I swear to you on my gamma, I mean you no harm.”

Maria’s eyes darted to Phil. “Fine,” she said, lowering her weapon. 

Ylva left Loki to tend to Hill - she certainly had never been trained in healing others. Instead she went back to the other half-elf, crouching down in front of the woman. “Veiðimaður þinn er dauður. Ætlar þú að taka tækifæri á frelsi eða skríða aftur að þeim þjófur skrímsli?”  _ Your hunter is dead. Will you take your chance at freedom or crawl back to those thieving monsters? _

The half-elf hesitated, watching as Loki retrieved the medical supplies and knelt next to Hill. “Mun herrum veiða mig? Vilja þeir láta mig fara?”  _ Will your masters hunt me? Will they let me go? _

“I am my own master now and you are no slave here,” she asserted in the light elf tongue. “To go or stay, it is your choice. If you leave our protection and do not return to the monsters, you are on your own. To go back to the mistlands...you know the price of failure for a slave.” She glanced over at her allies and drew the ruby-haired half-elf’s attention there. “If you stay, you give yourself to the authority of Asgard or Earth. You will have to ask Prince Loki or Agent Phil which one holds higher power here.” 

Loki glanced up when he heard his name, but quickly returned his attention to Maria’s neck. She sat stiffly as he cleaned the wound, ignoring his own aches. He wouldn’t have been able to rest if he hadn’t tended to those he was responsible for. Maria wasn’t technically his, but she’d fought for his people and in doing so had caught the prince’s attention. 

The half-elf stared at Ylva. “I just want to run and hide,” she replied to the other Changed.

“That will only make you prey,” the former gladiator told her. “If you would be free, you must learn to stand on your own or find someone stronger to take you in. I will help you learn,” she offered and took a deep breath, “though I must ask those that are helping  _ me _ .”

The half-elf slumped her shoulders and slowly nodded. “Then ask whichever would treat me the best.”

She nodded and stood, moving to Phil since Loki was still busy with Hill. “I’m afraid I have more to ask of you and Loki,” she said with a sigh and a self-deprecating smile.

Phil smiled and looked past her to the former houndmaster. “Let me guess: your new friend needs somewhere to go?”


	21. Temporary

Ylva's smile became a little more genuine and she nodded. “She’s scared but she doesn’t want to go back. She’s like me, a half-elf, so I don’t know if it would be better for her to stay here or to see if Loki could get her permission to go to Asgard.” She glanced back at the other woman, adding thoughtfully, “I don’t know if she was taken from Earth, but unless she’s very old it’s likely she was born in the mistlands. Either way, she probably doesn’t know English or anything about modern life here.”

“Odin will wish to speak with her, and I’m sure that Thor would arrange her a safe place to live in exchange for cooperation,” Loki said absently as he finished taping the gauze to Maria’s neck. She shivered under his touch and he deliberately brushed her hair with his knuckles as he stood. He was rewarded with another shiver. “Would you ask her if that’s acceptable?”

Ylva returned to the captive-turned-refugee, relaying what the others had said and the offer being made to her. “It is a fair offer, cousin. Asgard will feel more familiar than Earth for you, I think.”

The half-elf nodded and Loki said, “Phil, will you speak to Thor on her behalf?” When he nodded, the jotun said, “Now, Agent Hill, would you please step outside and take the newcomer with you? I have some pack business to conduct.” He saw her hesitation. “Unless you’d care to join my pack? I’d love another gamma with your fighting skills.”

She gave him a withering glance and exited, ushering the other half-elf out the door. Loki sat down on a upturned bucket and sagged. “Help me,” he said.

“With what?” Phil asked, coming to his side.

“Get the shirt off.” Loki moaned as Phil and Ylva stripped him and revealed his chest. The horseshoes had had cleats, and the jotun had two half-circles of weeping holes framed by deep bruises. “I think it broke a rib,” he added.

“If it makes you feel better, if the horse had stomped me, I’d be dead,” Phil told him as he started to clean the bleeding holes.

“Only in that I took the blow and not you.” Loki managed a wan smile for his gamma.

“You realized Maria is probably spying us right now,” Phil added.

“I would expect nothing less,” Loki groaned as one wound sent a wave of pain through his body. “I’d have not made her leave, but no alpha would tolerate a hostile gamma seeing them weakened. Particularly since her alpha is SHIELD.” He hissed sharply as Phil probed one of the punctures. “Think she would consider joining the pack?”

“Perhaps we should talk about the omega you picked up first,” the gamma said lightly but there was reproach in his tone.

“Talk to him, Ylva.” Loki winced. “Tell him what you want.”

Ylva had been prowling around the group trying to burn off some of the post-battle energy; usually she had a crowd to pander to and several hours of feasting - after a hot bath - once her fights were over. The quiet here was...unnerving. “I want Loki to teach me magic, but he promised his mother he would only teach those of his pack. He does not want me to join his pack only to learn his magic and then leave, so we are...pretending? Practicing. Seeing what it would be like, to be together. He is teaching me to read and at some point what it means to be an omega, especially an omega of a prince of Asgard.” She stopped abruptly from her pacing, turning to watch Phil. “If you agree. He will not risk losing you for this arrangement.”

“Oh.” The gamma sat back and smiled at Loki. “Sorry.”

“I would have assumed the same,” the jotun replied, waving a hand. “It is no matter to me.”

Phil grinned “So, you gonna teach me magic, too?”

“Of course.” Loki was deadly serious. “You are my pack, and magic is a great advantage. I would not lose you for lack of teaching you any advantage.”

“Okay, so next question.” Phil fell silent as he wrapped a tension bandage around the jotun, but as he secured the wrapping, he asked, “Why were you keeping your omega in a barn?”

Loki sighed. “Because no one cared that I was here. I’ll have to find another place.”

“May I make a suggestion?” Phil asked carefully. Alphas were to provide for their packs, and Phil knew better than to offer his place for them.

Loki tensed, then groaned softly. “Yes.”

“Come work for SHIELD. Make a paycheck. We could use your knowledge and skills.” Phil swallowed at the frown on Loki’s face. “You’re going to need to work for someone to provide here on Earth. Just think about it?”

~  *  ~  *  ~

“Got a few minutes?” Phil tapped on the open doorway and leaned in, watching the Director closely.

“Sure.” Fury snapped the folder closed and sat back, steepling his hands. “I presume you’re going to tell me what you and Agent Hill were hissing about when you got back.”

“In a way. She wants me to inform you of the identity of my alpha.” Phil eased in and shut the door.

“You don’t have to,” Fury said, “until it gets serious. Then they need to pass background checks.”

“Well, I do need to tell you.” Phil didn’t add, _or Maria will_. “The background check is also kind of an issue.”

Fury’s eyes narrowed. “Then yes, you need to explain.”

Phil took a deep breath and said it before he lost his nerve. “My alpha is Loki.”

“The fuck, Agent Coulson!” It was half question and half demand.

Phil gave himself a million points for not flinching. “There are extenuating circumstances, sir,” he said and explained what had happened with Thanos. “Based on what some of Thor’s gammas have told me, I’m inclined to believe Loki, sir.”

“Really? Has it not occurred to you that entrapping a SHIELD agent would give Loki an unparalleled access to sensitive information?” Fury narrowed his eye at him.

“I’ve asked Thor, and he doesn’t believe that Loki would use a pack bond unscrupulously.” Phil wondered how long it was going to take for Fury to believe Loki. “You can speak to him yourself, sir.”

“Oh, I will.” Fury stared at him a moment. “I thought you had better sense, Phil.”

“Maybe the problem isn’t my senses, sir.” Phil clasped his hands confidently. There was no room for a world where Phil didn’t get his alpha and SHIELD, and he was going to fight to have them. “I looked into this. I’ve asked around about Loki’s character. I’m not blind, and I’m not stupid, sir. I ask that you look at this fairly.” The agent took a breath before adding, “Also, he needs a job, and I think you’d rather have him working for SHIELD than not.”

“Than working for HYDRA? Iran? Is that what you’re implying?” Fury snapped.

“No, sir, I meant, you’d probably rather keep him close where you can watch him and be aware of his movements, as well as knowing what he’s being asked to do by his superiors.” Phil smiled a little. “He’s not going to have a problem finding someone who’ll take advantage of his unique skills. I’d prefer it to be us.”

“And if his ‘job’ for SHIELD is to sit in a cell?” the director asked sharply.

“Then he’ll be looking for work somewhere else.” Phil kept that serene expression with effort. “Sir, I’m not asking you to hire him right now. I’m asking that you talk to Thor and his pack, and decide based on all the facts.”

Fury snorted. “Facts like the mortality report from the Invasion?”

Phil stiffened. “With all due respect to yourself and those who died, those aren’t the only facts, sir. You’ve never, in all the years I’ve worked for you, asked me to only bring you the data that you liked.”

Silence filled the room as the older man mulled over his words. “Fine. Where is he and the other one?”

“Ylva and Loki are waiting for pick up in a Denny’s in Denver,” Phil said.

“Go move them to a SHIELD safe house.” Fury tilted his head, the overhead lights reflecting off his bald head. “Don’t tell anyone, not even me, which one. Then have Maria come in here.”

“Yes, sir!” Phil nodded and left. That could have gone much more poorly.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Loki covertly watched everyone in the expansive dining area, looking for trouble. He didn’t like being in a restaurant with his unclaimed omega. The tables around them were occupied by unbound alphas and gammas. The few betas in the room were definitely bound, and taking their food to go. Their expressions were all distant; they were thinking about their packs at home. Those eating in were alphas taking prospective pack members on dates. No one brought just an omega on a date, and he was getting some questioning stares.

His omega sat across the table from him, stirring the contents of her mug distrustfully. The illusion on her made her human, but he could do nothing about her delightful scent. Whatever the elves had done to her, they hadn’t affected the draw she could have on others. As he watched, she took a cautious sip, screwing up her face at the taste.

“I don’t think that is coffee,” Loki told her softly. “It is sold as such, but I doubt such claims.”

She scrunched her nose at the beverage. “It smells like dirt and acid,” she said as she pushed it away. “Tastes pretty much the same.” She crossed her arms in front of her, tipping her head back in speculation. “So, what will we do if SHEILD says no?”

“I’ll find another job,” he said with a casual shrug. “I doubt it’ll be difficult to find a place to swear fealty to, once they know my skills.”

“What about Ovidr? The loss of his Hunt will set him back, but he is one to take it as a challenge, not a warning.” Her stomach grumbled softly and she fidgeted, uneasy with all the unknowns of their current situation.

“Then he will challenge me, and he will die.” Loki didn’t lack in confidence but he could see she didn’t share it. “Coming to Midgard takes a toll, yes? So he has to expend energy just to come here.”

“He will send many oth-” She cut off her words as Phil entered the small restaurant and made his way back to their table.

“They’ll die too,” Loki assured her as Phil slid in next to him. The jotun snuck in a kiss quickly, enjoying the way the gamma’s cheeks warmed at the gesture.

“We have a safe house,” he announced to them. “Fury’s thinking about the job thing.”

“I didn’t expect him to accept my offer immediately,” Loki said, fighting down feeling of failure from not providing a safe spot. It should only be for a day or two. _It had better only be for a day or two._ “Then we should be moving.”

Ylva frowned and shook her head. “I don’t know that moving will help. The Hunt found me when they should not have had a way to. They have some means of tracking me.”

“Hair, blood, anything from your body.” Loki frowned. “I could try to mask you, but regardless of whether we move for safety, we should move for _comfort_. Come, Phil, show us this house.”

It was a small building on the end of a long driveway in Colorado Springs. Loki looked at the squat, single-story structure and bit back a sigh. “I hope the interior is more promising,” he said darkly.

“It’s not a five-star hotel, but it’s better than keeping an omega in a _barn_ ,” Phil pointed out with a hint of chastisement in his tone. When Loki glanced at him, the gamma shrugged. “What?”

The alpha said nothing as they entered the house. The air was musty from last of inhabitants, but the area was clean. The floor was a thick pink carpet and the walls were white with rows of tiny roses. The furniture was covered in easily-cleaned twill with woven blankets tossed over them. From what he could see of the kitchen, it was also small, clean, and distressingly pink. “Why is there so much of this color?” he asked.

“SHIELD got it in an estate sale. No doubt someone’s grandmother lived here.” Phil pulled out his phone. “Let’s make a list of supplies and get you guys settled.” Loki stiffened at more outside provision. Phil put a hand on his arm. “It’s temporary.”

“It needs to be,” Loki said, then turned his mind to their requirements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions this time: (I'm going to repeat these until I have some responses. :p )
> 
> 1) Who's your favorite Bound character so far and why?
> 
> 2) What's been your favorite plot or scene in the fiction so far? Why? What would you like to see more or less of in the story?
> 
> Now for links!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over twenty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!


	22. Akward

“So this is mandatory sexy-fun?” Darcy asked warily, looking around the room at her pack. None of the faces looking back at her seemed particularly fired up by the idea, either.

“I am hoping to create some pack unity,” Thor said stiffly, holding Jane’s hand carefully. The pack sat in a stiff row on the edge of their massive mattress. The pack’s bedroom was huge, almost four times what Darcy’s birth pack had, and had room for more than just the bed. She still felt a sense of entrapment.

 _Ohmigod. Is this what my life has been reduced to?_ Darcy was inclined to turn them all down, but frankly, it was the only idea they’d had come up in more than a week. It also sounded less tiring than another outing camping, or shopping, or swimming, or any of the other things that the alpha had come up with to do.

“So what position? Treasure?” Darcy asked pointedly. Volstagg and Hogun’s eyes hit the floor, both men flushing hard.

Thor smiled at his omega. “Nay, I will not fully engage Jane.” _Ain’t that the truth,_ Darcy thought as he added, “That is for our wedding night. No, now, we will pair into groups.”

Darcy stiffened. _Do **not** pair me with Sif_ , she thought hard at him. If she got any part of that bitch in her mouth, she was far too likely to bite, and not in the sexy fun way.

“Fandral with Sif, and you with Hogun and Volstagg.” Thor watched her warily, waiting for her objection.

“Volstagg’s not interested in sex,” Darcy protested. “He’s asexual.” The off-world members of the pack looked at her blankly.

“I do not know this term,” the red-haired giant said with a frown. “Does it mean something bad?”

“No!” Darcy resisted the urge to give him a big hug. “It just means you’re not wired to want sex, and that’s okay. Food is your sensual outlet.” She turned to Thor, ignoring the stares from the other two gammas and Sif. “Let him have a big tray of pastries if you want him in here.” _So he can watch creepily? Better than cajoling him into sex he isn’t going to enjoy for something that isn’t going to work._

That was the real problem, in Darcy’s mind. This stunt, like all the others, wasn’t going to work. This pack wasn’t going to work, and all of these attempts at bonding were pointless. However, it was also going to get her laid, so she wasn’t going to object to it.

“That goes against the very idea of this,” the blond alpha grumbled.

Jane laid her hand on his arm. “Thor, please don’t force him,” she murmured with a coy little smile. “I want him to be happy.”

“If that is what you wish, Volstagg.” Thor sounded tired, and Darcy realized that his next step after this failed was going to be to ask her to leave. He was going to be really surprised when Jane went with her. As he left the room to get a plate, Thor looked to Hogun. “Will you try? With Darcy?”

The brunette silently bristled at the implication that sex with her was such a terrible chore. “I will be glad to lay with our Darcy,” Hogun said, nodding at her.

 _He’s totally getting a blowjob for ‘our Darcy’._ Darcy felt herself relax fractionally. _Are you sure you want to do this?_ She took a good look at the gamma, her eyes tracing over his roughly handsome features and the hints of strong body under his armor. _This is my chance to wreck him. I am so gonna hit that._

Volstagg returned with his food and settled into the corner, happy as could be. Thor pulled a giggling Jane into his lap, while Sif began to strip Fandral. Darcy couldn’t help but note that the beta was sneaking longing looks at Thor.

Hogun sat stiffly, looking at her uncertainly. Leaning close, Darcy whispered, “You don’t have to fuck the mortal if it really bothers you so much.”

“It is not that.” He swallowed hard. “I have not been with someone whom I do not have feelings for before. Deep, personal feelings.”

Darcy sighed, swallowing her hurt and disappointment. If she hadn’t known he was lying, she would have believed him. She’d seen him take off with that raven-haired alpha at Stark’s wedding without a second’s hesitation. She teetered between leaving in a glorious bitch-fest or getting her itch scratched. A reminder that it had been months since she’d had sex settled it for her. “Are you sure you want this?” she asked again, unwilling to rape him. Thor and his orders could go to hell before she’d violate someone like that.

He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles, his dark eyes locking with hers. His tone was as sincere as his eyes. “I would like this very much.”

“Are you two going to fuck or talk?” Fandral asked, lying back on the bed, stripped to the waist. Sif straddled him, unbuckling her armor.

“I like to do it right,” Darcy told him, “which I think you’d remember.”

He laughed, heat filling his eyes. “Oh, yes, I recall.” Sif leaned down and kissed him, pulling his attention back to her.

“C’here.” Darcy pulled Hogun over to sitting couch. “Let’s start over here. Show me how to get all this armor off.”

“It’s magic,” he told her, and it faded from view, leaving him wearing nothing. She took a second to eye-bang him, only to frown when he started to cover himself.

“Oh, my favorite Asgardian trick,” Darcy purred, pulling her sweater over her head. She was pleased when Hogun’s expression heated at the sight of her breasts. Dropping her top, she cupped herself, pressing her ample breasts together and leaning toward him in a strip tease maneuver.

She spun so that her back was to him, reaching back to pop open her bra. When she looked coyly over his shoulder, his eyes weren’t sweeping over her body. He was making deep eye contact, and the display of her body was secondary. _Emotional turn ons, gotcha._ “Can you help me?” she asked softly, still looking over her shoulder.

He rose, standing so close she could feel his body heat. “What do you need?” he asked.

“There’s a zipper, on the back of the skirt,” she whispered. “Pull it down.”

His fingers caught the narrow tab and gently tugged it. She felt the pressure of the garment ease away as she dropped her bra. She reached back and took his hands, tugging his thumbs into the waistband. He knew what to do; he pushed the clothing down, catching her underwear with it.

She stepped out and turned, with him kneeling on the floor behind her. He wasn’t erect yet, but his cock wasn’t completely flaccid either. _Progress_ , she thought happily as she walked behind him. “May I touch you?” she whispered.

When he nodded, she put her hands on his shoulders and began to kneed the tight muscles. He relaxed in degrees under her fingers, his head dropping to his chest. She attacked the long corded muscles of his neck next. That drew a low moan as she coaxed the knots to smooth away.

Once his shoulders and neck were relaxed, she whispered in his ear, “May I take your hair down?”

“Yes.” He turned his head enough to see her. “If you’ll take yours down.”

Darcy’s nimble fingers undid her ponytail first and she dropped the holder on her clothing. She pulled out the hair sticks holding his topknot in place, smiling as the warm weight of his black hair fell into her hands. She combed it out gently, then buried her fingers into the mass to massage his scalp.

His head rolled back against her, and she cradled it on her breasts as she kneaded his skull. His eyes were half-closed and he looked so adorably content that she couldn’t resist kissing his forehead. That earned her one of his rare smiles.

She was vaguely aware of the sounds of passion from the other people in her pack. Thor’s face was buried in Jane’s pussy, and she was making a series of intelligible keening cries. Sif lay on Fandral, their lips locked as their hips pumped into one another.

That was hot, but Darcy found her attention being drawn more to the quiet man in front of her. Her world narrowed to focus on him, on his needs. She smiled when he moved from his knees to sitting, and soon was leaning against her. She shifted from his scalp to circle her arms around his chest. She stroked his body, noting what made him sigh, or moan, or seemed unpleasant. His breathing picked up speed, and she was unsurprised when he caught her arm and tugged on it. Darcy complied, smiling when she saw the erection he was now sporting.

She planned to follow through on her silent blow job promise but he caught her chin and murmured, “Dance on me, Darcy.”

The heat in his eyes was erotic enough, but the desire in his voice all but scorched her skin. Clumsy with eagerness, she rose and straddled his legs, then crouched. One strong hand on his hip guided her, and the other held his cock. She moaned as the head of his member touched her wet slit, then again when he slowly and carefully lowered her onto it.

“Jesus, you feel so good,” she whispered. Her head dropped onto his shoulder and she buried her face in his neck. She lifted her head and leaned in for a kiss, only to have him catch her cheeks. “Do you love me?” he murmured.

 _Yes_ would have been the answer had this been some erotic Hollywood movie, but fuck that shit. Darcy lived in the real world. “Maybe,” she admitted. “I like you, definitely.”

“When you love me, you can kiss me,” he murmured to her, stroking her cheek. “The pleasure of my mouth is reserved for those that I love, and that love me.”

“I gotcha,” she whispered and kissed his cheek instead. “I think that’s sweet, and I’ll let you know when I’m in that category.” She grinned impishly. “But the rest of you is free game, right?”

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “The rest of me is free for you,” he agreed, using his hug to thrust firmly into her body. As she gasped with pleasure, he whispered, “And very eager for you.”

“I love your dirty talk,” she told him just before licking his throat.

“If you are talking this much, I am not doing it right,” he murmured. Darcy wondered what the hell he thought he could do better and she opened her mouth to say so when he slipped his hand between them and found her clit with his thumb.

Rational thought and “best beta practices” fled her mind as pleasure filled her. “Dance on me,” he whispered once more, sending a bolt of delight through her. The normally reserved Vanir had pure lava in his voice as he circled her clit and begged her to fuck him in some of the dirtiest G-rated words she’d ever heard.

Using her hips and his shoulders, she began to sensually slide herself up and down his cock. His thumb didn’t stop its attempt to drive her crazy but his breath came faster, betraying his effort at control. Darcy felt her skin mist with sweat as she drove them both toward the heights of ecstasy that awaited them. Groaning at how close she was, she pressed her face against his neck and lost herself in their pleasure.

She was so lost that she failed to notice the bright lights, or the other members of her pack crying out in alarm, not passion. Hogun cupped her breast and toyed gently with a nipple and Darcy whimpered at how very close she was.

“Darcy Lewis and Hogun the Grim.” The deep, strange voice broke their mutual daze. Startled, Darcy looked up to find they weren’t in their bedroom anymore; they weren’t even on Earth anymore. She’d heard enough descriptions of the Bifrost device to know that she was on Asgard.

There was a strange gamma staring at her. She didn’t have any clothing on. She was about to meet one of the packs-in-law, and she was naked. It was like all of her nightmares came true at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got a response! Yayayayay! Thank you,
> 
> Lover_of_Loki1974
> 
> !
> 
> Questions this time: 
> 
> 1) Which genders would you give the canon characters? Why?
> 
> 2) If you could make packs out of the Avengers/other MCU characters, which would be your favorite grouping?
> 
> Now for links!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over twenty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read! We're also posting it up on [JukePop](http://www.jukepop.com/home/books/?category=authored&page=1&userid=38892), where you can +vote the story (helping us earn prizes from JukePop and become more popular) and even donate through them for a share of future profits (we're still in process of getting this set up, I'll let you all know in notes when we're ready to go on it)!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!


	23. Embarrassed

Hogun hastily lifted her off his cock, and immediately he was clothed -- in clothing as well as a bright red flush. Darcy knew the feeling; there was being into the sex, and there was ridiculous. This sex crossed the line into the latter.

Still, she wondered when they could do it again, because _fucking wow._

Hogun pulled off his cloak and draped it around her shoulders. She pulled it closed around her, aware that Jane also stood in Thor’s cloak, her face just as red. “Heimdall,” Thor snarled as Hogun helped Darcy up without flashing the room, “explain yourself!”

“There is a dire situation in the realm.” Odin’s gamma pulled the great sword out of the central pillar. “You and your pack are needed.”

“Why did you bring the mortals of my pack here?” The blond alpha’s anger was barely in check as he glared at the older gamma. “If there is danger, they shouldn’t be here!”

“The danger is from your father,” Heimdall said softly. “He’s without an omega or a beta. He is losing himself, Thor. The realm needs you to take the throne.”

“I don’t want it,” he said softly, his blue eyes dropping.

“It no longer matters what you want.” Heimdall looked at every member of the pack and said, “You must be bound, Thor. Today. And take the crown.”

“Is His Majesty aware of your intent?” Fandral asked nervously.

“Yes. He is ready to step aside, Thor, if you can bring yourself to do what you must.” Heimdall inclined his head. “This is for the good of Asgard, my son.”

Thor slowly straightened. “If the members of my pack consent, then yes. Let us do this.”

“What about Jane’s research?” Darcy asked quickly, dread pooling in her stomach. The moment she felt that, she knew she had no business being part of the pack. _It’ll be okay. Once you’re all bound, you’ll love them, and them you. It’ll be fine._

“She may continue that, here or on Midgard. We will work something out that will make everyone happy.” Thor took Darcy’s hand, looking into her eyes. “We have waited long enough. Let us become a pack.”

Swallowing her uncertainty, Darcy nodded. “Okay,” she whispered, heartened by the fact that Thor had clearly invited her. “But I’m gonna need some clothing.”

Fandral laughed. “Yes, while I like the look, we all need appropriate attire.”

“I have prepared everything.” Heimdall pointed to the doorway, where Lady Greda waited. Lord Freyr’s beautiful beta smiled encouragingly. “I will take care of you,” she said with a smile.

Darcy frowned at the hellishly long walkway, but Lady Greda led them to the side of the bridge to an airship. The pack and their guide climbed aboard and it took them above the city. As they flew, Hogun leaned over the edge. “I hear cheering,” he noted.

Lady Greda smiled. “The entire realm is celebrating Prince Thor’s return.”

 _Prince Thor._ It was easy to forget that he was royalty in another realm. _And soon I’ll be Princess Darcy_. She choked back a giggle at the thought of rubbing that in the faces of the cheerleaders at her high school reunion.

The airship took them to a high tower of the palace, or the Giant Gold Pipe Organ as Darcy privately named it. The balcony served as a port in the air, and the room attached to it was a large bathroom. Garments hung on hooks on the wall, and an army of servants waited patiently for them.

“I will leave you to prepare,” Lady Greda said, sweeping into a bow and out of the room. The servants remained, watching with their judgy Aesir eyes. The Aesir in her pack didn’t seem to notice, stripping without hesitation; only she and Jane hesitated. Locking gazes with each of the servants in turn, Darcy made a point of dropping her cloak without shame. _I may not be nigh-immortal, but I still have a rocking body._

Asgardian custom said that the beta washed and prepared the rest of the pack, then themselves last. She and Sif worked together on each of them, starting with Thor and going down to Jane. Darcy had never washed so many long, flowing locks before in her life; every single one of them had insane amounts of hair to clean and style.

Then the two betas washed one another. Darcy was sorely tempted to pull Sif’s hair but she didn’t. They were going to be a family soon. She expected Sif to try something underhanded but the beta resisted. Sif did lean forward as she finished her hair and whispered, “I look forward to the moment I don’t hate you anymore.”

“Aww,” Darcy purred, turning around. “That’s so sweet! I can’t wait until I don’t think you’re a shit-stain either.”

Sif’s jaw tightened but she said nothing, holding out the shorter of the two blue robes. Darcy slipped into it, wishing that someone else from home could be here. Erik would have been nice to have, or any of her family. She knew that Thor was open to an earth-side ceremony. _It won’t be the same_ , she thought sadly as she held out the robe for Sif.

“Are we ready?” Thor asked as the two betas turned to him. “You are both stunning.”

“I’m good,” Darcy said. She was so ready to stop with the intrapack conflicts and just be happy again.

Everyone else agreed and they left the room together. Lady Greda was waiting, taking the lead through the massive and endless halls. Darcy had no idea where they were in the palace, and they had to go down what felt like miles of stairs. The closer they got, the louder the noise of thousands of people got, and the more Darcy’s stomach threatened a revolt.

Then Lady Greda stopped, turning to hand Thor all the gifts he would need. “Do the mortals know the ceremony?”

“The ‘mortals’ are right here,” Darcy said icily, before Thor put a hand on her arm.

“It is not dissimilar from Midgard’s.” The prince of Asgard pulled her and Jane aside, quickly explaining what they needed to do. Thankfully, it wasn’t much; Darcy was already a little sick and she wasn’t sure she could remember a lot of complex instructions.

The doors opened and Thor walked into the golden room first to a wave of cheering. He lifted Mjolnir in tribute to the weapon, rather than himself, then proceeded up aisle to stand below his father on the dias.

The gammas were next, eschewing the aisle to walk up the sides of the building. By tradition, the alpha cleared the way and the gammas protected the sides. They fanned out around the alpha, securing the space for the pack.

Then it was the betas’ turn, and Darcy swallowed against vomit. She and Sif walked down the aisle side-by-side, their eyes forward. She could hear the crowd around her; heard hints of whispers and almost ran. Only the fact that her gammas were ahead of her prevented her from breaking.

When Darcy and Sif arrived at the dias, the gammas walked back up the aisle to retrieve Jane. Darcy thought it was kinda ridiculous; no one was going to steal Thor’s omega from the back of the hall. It was traditional so that’s the way it was done.

When the entire pack was assembled, Odin lifted his spear. “My son comes before me today, with a pack, ready to be bound. He holds Mjolnir, as sign of his worth, and he has the wisdom to pick a pack of worth. He is ready to assume the mantle of leadership over the people he has chosen. Let the vows commence.”

Fandral took a knee in front of Thor. “I swear my life to you. I swear my blade to you. As long as I draw breath, our pack will be safe from all enemies.”

Thor extended the smallest of the blades, a finely crafted rapier of the sort Fandral favored. As the lean man accepted the weapon, Thor said, “I accept your oath, my gamma. Use this blade to defend us, and bring peace where our enemies would bring death.”

Darcy resisted the urge to roll her eyes; she’d always been annoyed when someone insisted that war was the only way to make peace.

Hogun knelt after Fandral resumed his place. “I swear my life to you. I swear my mace to you. As long as I draw breath, our pack will be safe from all enemies.”

Once again, Thor accepted the oath, handing Hogun a beautiful mace. Darcy tried not to fidget; she wanted this ceremony _done_. Volstagg made his vow, with his axe this time, and Thor accepted it and awarded him with a better one. She guessed they were all better; they were certainly shinier.

Then Sif stepped forward. “We have been through much, my alpha. I am your beta, now and always,” she said, going a little off script. Darcy engaged in a few breathing tricks to keep from losing her calm. “I swear myself to care for you. I will use my body to warm you, my hands to feed you, and my ears to listen to you. As long as I draw breath, our pack will be cared for completely.”

Thor held a hand out to her, smiling. As he helped her to her feet, Thor said, “I accept your oath, my beta.” He handed her a large skeleton key. “Accept this key to my house, and care for us all.”

Then it was Darcy’s turn. She had a fleeting desire to run away but she lifted her chin and went to her knee in front of Thor. Her voice shook as she said, “I swear myself to care for you. I will use my body to warm you, my hands to feed you, and my ears to listen to you. As long as I draw breath, our pack will be cared for completely.”

Thor helped her up, handing her a copy of the house key. “I accept your oath, my beta. Accept this key to my house, and care for us all.” Then he hugged her, and whispered, “Thank you for caring for Jane so much.”

She hugged him back and took the place next to Sif. It was Jane’s turn, and she looked radiant in her dress. It wasn’t the traditional white like you’d find at home; it was red and black, like Thor’s colors, but embroidered and cunningly crafted. Darcy wondered how the seamstresses got her measurements, or if that was just magic. She was also amazed that such an odd - to her human standards - dress managed to look right for this omega. _This is where she’s supposed to be_ , Darcy thought with a little smile, glad that things were working out for their pack.

Jane knelt, Sif and Darcy moving to help spread her dress out prettily. Darcy thought that was kinda dumb, but it was Jane’s big day so she did it, giving her omega a smile as she returned to her spot. “Thor,” Jane said her voice carrying through the hall somehow. “I swear to be your omega, to give my body to our pack. I swear to give my mind to our pack, too.”

That last was ad-libbed, and Darcy grinned proudly. It caused a ripple of sound through the hall, but Thor just laughed and held the circlet over her head. Darcy felt tears rise as she watched her omega receive the symbol of her soon-to-be office: the AllMother. Jane had told Darcy some about it, that part of the power Odin had was actually his omega’s power.

Thor helped Jane to her feet and embraced her. A cheer rose from the watching Aesir as all eyes turned to Odin. The alpha stood expectantly, drawing in deep breaths. _We’re a pack!_ Darcy thought, even as she realized she didn’t feel any different. Jane’s smile became a frown and she looked to Darcy. Her eyes said it all: there was no bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions this time: 
> 
> 1) Which genders would you give the canon characters? Why?
> 
> 2) If you could make packs out of the Avengers/other MCU characters, which would be your favorite grouping?
> 
> Now for links!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over twenty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read! We're also posting it up on [JukePop](http://www.jukepop.com/home/books/?category=authored&page=1&userid=38892), where you can +vote the story (helping us earn prizes from JukePop and become more popular) and even donate through them for a share of future profits (we're still in process of getting this set up, I'll let you all know in notes when we're ready to go on it)!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!


	24. Humiliated

“I do not smell a pack scent,” Odin announced, cutting the cheering of the crowd short.

Darcy’s cheeks flamed hot with shame; it was the scenario that had been drilled into her as the worst possible thing to ever happen. It was a sign that the people you had chosen to be with really weren’t the right ones for you.

Tears rose in Jane’s eyes but she fiercely blinked them away. “We need to figure this out,” she hissed to Thor, who was frozen in shock. “We need to step away and--”

“It’s obvious what’s wrong!” Sif growled, glaring at Darcy.

“Be silent, everyone. Come, back to the hall,” Thor commanded, clenching his jaw tightly. They walked up the aisle together, the gammas forming up protectively around them as Thor led the way.

 _This is the last time we’ll walk like this,_ Darcy realized. They were going to kick her out, and Jane would go with her. Without an omega, there would be no pack. It felt like pieces of her were being torn away from her.

In the hallway, Thor turned to face them, his expression as grim as she’d ever seen it. He reached out and took Darcy’s face in his hands. As she steeled herself for it, he murmured, “I’m sorry. You must go.”

The breath still rushed out of her and it took a moment to pull away and respond. “Fine.”

“No, she is part of our pack,” Hogun said, his voice sharp. His protest would have warmed her heart, but it wasn’t the one she was expecting.

“It’s fine,” Darcy insisted, looking at Jane. The omega wouldn’t meet her eyes, and Darcy felt the last pieces of her life being torn off. “It’s fine,” she repeated, though she couldn’t see through the tears rising. Blindly, she shoved the key at Thor, not pausing to ensure he had a grip on it before letting go. “Just get a guard to show me the way out of here.”

“A guard can take you to the Bifrost,” Hogun said at her elbow, close enough that she felt his warmth. That only reminded her that she hadn’t gotten her nookie from earlier. She certainly wasn’t getting it now, and never from Hogun. “But Heimdall is at the wedding. You’d only have to wait--”

“I’m going to be doing that anywhere,” she growled, hating the warble in her voice. “Just take me out there, and Heimdall can deliver me home as soon as he’s free.” _That’s not really home either._ She’d worry about that later, though. For now, she couldn’t be here.

“You’ll be--”

“Away from the pack that isn’t mine anymore,” Darcy interrupted Thor. “If you’re going to let me go, _let me go_.”

Jane finally looked at her, sorrow in her pretty brown eyes. “I’m sorry, Darcy,” she murmured, hands clutching her dress.

“Sure, no biggie. You do you.” Darcy glanced at Thor. “My guide?”

The alpha gestured to a guard, who impassively joined him. Darcy waited a second, then said, “Go on. I’ll just follow you.”

It wasn’t like she was important here anymore. She was just the embarrassing reason that Jane had been utterly humiliated on the biggest day of her life.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Jane Foster rose to her feet for the second time today, the circlet glinting against her dark hair. Hogun waited for the moment: not the moment of bonding, but for the moment they knew it wasn’t going to work again. He knew why, but part of him didn’t want to admit it.

Odin snarled, truly angry. “I smell no pack scent!” A louder murmur went through the room, and Hogun opened his mouth to confess. Odin spoke before he could finish. “You cannot have a mortal in your pack! Járnsaxa!”

A doe-eyed omega stepped from the crowd, opening her robe to reveal a dress similar to Jane’s. Hogun clutched his mace as he understood what Odin intended.

“Father?” Thor asked, looking from the omega to Odin. “What are you doing?”

“Here is a suitable omega for you. It is time to put aside your childish desires for a mortal and take your throne.” Odin raised his arms. “You must do your duty!”

“Father, stop!” Thor stepped between Odin and Jane, and the gammas and Sif formed up around her. Sif snatched Fandral’s spare sword off his hip, standing in defense of the pack with the gammas.

Thor faced his father, his blue eyes wide. “This is wrong!”

“Wrong? I do what is best for the realms!” Golden light encompassed the AllFather as he raised his arms.

Hogun felt something pulling at him, and though it was the barest of feelings, it made his skin crawl. His alpha went to his knees, bound in gold energy and crying out in pain. Járnsaxa clutched her chest and collapsed to the floor in the same aura.

“Get Thor out of here!” Sif screamed, staring at Odin. He was clearly the source of danger, but they couldn’t attack their liege. She still held her sword defensively, but had it been anyone other than Odin, she’d be cutting them down now.

Volstagg scooped Thor up and tossed him over his shoulder. The prince looked to Jane; even in the middle of an excruciating magical attack, his thoughts were for his omega. There was no doubt to anyone in the realm that Thor and Jane were truly alpha and omega, bond or not.

Fandral flanked Jane on the opposite side of Hogun and the black-haired gamma trusted that his blond compatriot was doing the same as he: scanning the crowds for the next attack. He didn’t think that the Aesir people were about to swarm them. Many of them looked just as alarmed as he felt.

Thor didn’t recover, nor did the golden light leave them. Instead, Heimdall caught up to them in an airship just outside the palace. “Get in,” the gamma commanded, and none of them hesitated.

“What in the name of Hela is going on!” Fandral demanded as the craft rose into the air. “Heimdall, what is wrong with Thor?”

“I believe that Odin is trying to force a bond using the Odinforce.” The gamma looked sad but he added, “I no longer have access to his feelings through the pack bond, but I know the touch of the Odinforce.”

“That’s madness!” Fandral bit short his next remark. The first earned him a glare from Heimdall, who may have agreed but wouldn’t tolerate others saying such of his alpha.

“It’s wrong,” Hogun said bluntly, glancing at Jane. She sat next to Thor’s prone form, looking scared. After a moment, Sif joined her in her vigil.

“It is a measure of his desperation.” Heimdall steered for the Bifrost. “I will get you out of Asgard and return to speak with him.”

A lone figure waited for them at the end of the bridge: Darcy. Hogun felt his heart lighten when he identified her form.

She looked pissed until she saw Thor’s condition. “What happened?” she asked, reaching to help Volstagg get him out of the boat.

“We’ll explain on Midgard.” Hogun touched her shoulder lightly, trying to offer comfort. She pulled away and his heart sank. Of course she would not want to be touched in such a manner. After what had happened, he should have been more considerate of the tumult of emotions in her heart.

“Not off on--” Darcy stopped short, her eyes widening as she finally caught the lack of  a new scent. Hogun knew that she understood then. The second bonding was as futile as the first. “Okay,” she said instead, hovering near Volstagg as he lifted their unconscious alpha again.

Heimdall placed his sword in the pedestal once more. “Tell Thor I will contact him later. And I’ll be watching.” With a roll of his shoulders, he pushed the sword down, and the Bifrost pulled them into its colorful embrace.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Their bedroom still smelled like sex, and Darcy decided that the universe was just being shitty and petty now. The carpet bore the scorched sigil of the Aesir teleportation device. _Well, we aren’t getting that deposit back now_ , she thought, staring down at it.

Thor groaned loudly, the first sound he’d made since the group had fled the hall. It pulled Darcy out of her musings, and she turned to watch Sif and Jane tending to him. She thought of joining them, but she wasn’t really happy with him right now.

“What happened?” Thor asked, sitting up slowly.

“Heimdall believes that your father tried to force a pack bond,” Fandral said. “How do you feel?”

“Like a jotun stepped on my head.” Thor held up his hand, shielding his eyes from the light. Darcy cursed her beta nature as she flipped off the overhead lights. When she turned back, Thor was staring at her. “Darcy. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” she said coolly, feeling part of her relax at the vindication. “Good to know that you no longer think I’m the problem.”

“No, I do not, but that doesn’t mean we have fixed anything.” Thor rubbed his temples tiredly. “I am sore in the head. I will require some rest.”

“Right.” Darcy headed for the door. “Let’s leave him alone. If he’s got a migraine, then darkness and silence are the two best treatments, since we don’t have Asgard-strength Excedrin migraine.”

“I will stay.” Sif stared at her, daring her to object. Darcy had not problems with the two assholes closeting themselves away if that’s what they wanted. She simply left the room.

Her closet was with the others in the back hall. She opened it and started to undo the ties that held the dress to her. A rustle of cloth caught her attention and she turned to see Jane clutching the skirt of that stupid dress. “Darcy, we need to talk.”

“Do we, or do you?” She was aware that she was being a bitch, but she really couldn’t help herself.

“I think we both need it,” the brunette said. “Also, I need help out of this thing, and I want you to help me. If you want.”

“That’s all I wanted, Jane,” Darcy snapped, even as she left her lacings alone and stalked around behind her omega. “All I wanted was to be there for you.”

At the end of the hall, Hogun poked his head around the corner and then withdrew. _Smart man_ , Darcy thought as she pulled at the small ties on Jane’s dress. “But when I needed you, you weren’t there for me.”

Jane’s head lowered and as Darcy finally freed her, she saw the omega’s shoulders start to shake. “Aw, shit,” Darcy sighed, feeling her anger melt away. She curled her arms around the smaller woman. “Jane, hon, I’m sorry.”

“No, I am.” The omega turned around and pressed her face against Darcy’s neck. “It tore me up, but he’s my alpha. It just hurt, thinking that I can’t have both of you.”

 _You still choose him._ Darcy fought back tears, knowing that her time with this pack was short. Even with the second failure to close, even with Jane, she wasn’t happy, and she didn’t belong here. “For now, you do,” she said, tipping Jane’s face up to hers. Her lips were soft as Darcy kissed her.

Together, they pulled the dresses off one another and took the small private room at the back of the hall. It had a couple of chairs, a small TV, and a bookcase: just perfect for when someone in the pack needed a moment alone. Darcy knew -- and suspected that Jane did too -- that this was a goodbye. She pulled her naked omega to her, kissing her mouth and stroking her skin. Jane cupped her breasts with gentle fingers, her thumbs rubbing over her nipples.

Darcy moaned softly and guided her omega to the loveseat. They’d done this before, and the omega smiled knowingly as Darcy hooked one of Jane’s legs over the arm of the chair and propped her other heel on the ottoman. Jane’s pussy was presented to her, already wet and wide open. When she stared too long, Jane brushed her fingers over her thighs in invitation.

She knelt between her legs and kissed her thighs, her fingers ghosting over her knees. Darcy tenderly kissed down to her wet slit, fingers following her lips. Jane shuddered, her inner muscles already tightening in anticipation of coming pleasure.

Darcy licked once, her tongue delving into her slit before it came up to flick her clit. Jane’s unique and familiar flavor filled her senses, reminding her of the last time Jane had gone into heat. The two of them had locked themselves away, and Darcy had comforted her omega through the ordeal.

It was the last time they’d been together, and that was when they’d still had dreams of being in one pack. _Of course, we’d had that dream yesterday, too_.

Darcy ignored her tears and spread Jane’s labia with her fingers. She licked and stroked as deeply as she dared, aware that Jane wanted what Thor wanted: her first penetration with the pack to be when they were bound. Even in all of this, even during a goodbye-eating-out, Darcy still respected Jane’s wishes and desires. So after a few minutes of winding her up, Darcy zeroed in on her clit and started to draw the alphabet with her tongue. Jane tangled her fingers into her hair, whispering nonsense intently.

She got to ‘j’ before Jane cried out, shuddering as pleasure overtook her. Darcy continued her gentle farewell, until she was sure that the omega was thoroughly sated.

Darcy wiped her mouth, then leaned over Jane’s prone body to kiss her. “Wow,” Jane purred, reaching up to cup her cheek. “I love you.”

 _But not more than Thor_. Darcy tried not to mind. “I love you too, and now, it’s my turn.” Laughing, Jane got up so they could switch positions on the chair.

If this is all she got, then Darcy would take it before she had to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late post! The week has been busy and rough, so I don't have new questions ready, either. I will, however, be putting up my (Malachite's) answers to the questions we've posted sometime this week in the comments. Thanks for you patience and for reading!


	25. Yes Sir

The knock on the door brought Kori’s head up. No one was supposed to know he was here, or at least no one who didn’t possess a key already. No one had ordered food; they’d have told him first. He glanced at his beta. “Are we expecting anything?”

Linde shook her head and he rose nervously. The air around him grew hotter as he gathered fire into his hands. He sniffed but couldn’t smell anything or anyone. “Who is it?” he called.

The door burst inward and Kori sent a gout of flare without even seeing who was there. There was a blur of blue that filled the shattered doorway and took his blast; he heard a bellow of rage and pain. When he realized he was looking at a broad, blue chest, the alpha understood: “Johnny! What the fuck!”

The other alpha rolled past his blue gamma and came up on his feet. “It’s nothing personal, Kori,” Johnny said, advancing on him as the feared red energy whips appeared from his hands. Red tentacles uncurled from his back and over his shoulders, their ghastly crimson light turning the alpha’s black hair blood red. “You have something I need.”

Otto’s lean form appeared behind Johnny, _stepping_ out of the shadow behind the alpha. Kori kept his eyes on Johnny’s whips as the gamma pulled forth his shadows.

Linde scrambled away from the fight, heading for the back room. Thora would be there, and then Kori was ducking whips. He heard his blond hair sizzle as one of the red lines brushed his long bangs; then Otto’s shadows wrapped up Johnny.

 _What does he want?_ Kori wandered when his wall disintegrated as Stigr exploded through it. His impossibly dense body tore through plaster and studs alike, and Kori barely had time to dance out of the way. Stigr didn’t pause in the living room, continuing his charge, and Kori had a horrible feeling he knew what they were here for. He fired at the invader again, but the man had already crashed through into the bathroom.

Stigr came back through the hole a second later, staggering while Roza rode him to the floor. His skin was graying where her hands pressed into his face; her eyes shone with delight as she drank his life energy.

Pain surged through the link; Otto had been hurt. Kori turned as his rangy gamma hit the floor, groaning. Snarling, he turned into living flame and burst into flight. Slamming into the other alpha, he carried him out through a window and onto the roof of the neighboring building.

Johnny’s tentacles curled up over his shoulder, and when they hit, they sent the two men into a roll. Kori ended up on bottom, still a creature of fire. He got a foot between them and kicked Johnny off. He took flight, only to have a tentacle wrap round his thigh and pull the flaming man back down to the roof.

Kori screamed as the tentacle dug into his jean and sizzled his nerves through his skin. He grabbed at Johnny’s heavy jacket, trying to set it on fire. The other alpha punched him, harder than Kori was expecting. At the same time, he felt the panic and fear from his pack, especially from Otto. His shadow master was dying.

Now there were the tentacles lashing around his throat. The pain of their touch cut through every thought, even as Kori struggled to get away. He was aware of Otto disappearing from his mind; the sudden loss rippled through the pack and he felt tears in his eyes. With a scream of defiance, he grabbed Johnny’s throat, watching as his skin turned black under his fingers. Instead of pulling away from the burns Kori was inflicting, the raven-haired alpha leaned into it, grinning.

 _Fucking crazy fucker!_ Kori raised a hand and blasted Johnny right in the face. The alpha just laughed, his skin curling and cracking.

“You can’t kill me!” Johnny hissed as his tendrils tightened around Kori’s neck. The alpha tried to scream, but his voice was a broken crack and his vision was going gray. He felt Thora’s fear rise, as Linde began to panic, and pain screamed down the link with Roza.

Everything was black now, and the last thing he felt was the loss of his pack -- then there was nothing.

Johnny cast aside the body and opened a comm channel. “Piotr, Tiger, what’s up?”

“We have all the ladies here,” Stigr replied immediately. “Piotr is a little hurt, but not too bad. All in all, a good op.”

“How amenable are the womenfolk?” The raven-haired alpha began to walk to the edge of the building, picking burnt flesh off his hands. His neck was killing him, but he knew that he could shake the damage off.

“Not very, though I think the omega will come around sooner.” Stigr sounded amused. “I think she’s willing to deal, more than the others.”

“Which one if offering the most resistance?” Johnny asked.

Stigr paused a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was hesitant. “The brunette. The gamma. I’ll talk to her while you get back here.”

“I’m not coming back.” Johnny hissed as he peeled another piece of skin away. “Grab them and get them to our hideout. We’ll deal with them there.”

“Roger.” Stigr cut off communications, and Johnny grinned a little. His smaller gamma’s squeamishness was cute, mostly because Stigr kept it in check.

He walked to the edge of the building and his energy arms lashed out, grabbing at a metal railing on the fire escape below. As he started to climb down the side of the building, he turned his thoughts to how to cement his pack. He’d need to move fast, so he’d have to break them. _I’ve always wanted to do this,_ he thought, getting excited over the prospect.

Reshaping people had always sounded like so much fun.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Loki crossed his legs and tried not to fidget. He’d come to SHIELD with Phil after dawn, but had since been left waiting in a bare room. He had the feeling of being watched, so he composed himself and began to review spells in his mind. It was the best way to occupy himself in moments of boredom.

The door opened and Maria Hill entered. Loki’s lips curved into a warm smile at the sight of her. “Agent Hill, it is good to see you again.”

“Your application.” She dropped a clipboard, which clattered to the table with offensive noise. “Fill it out completely.”

Loki looked at it and glanced up. “I have no address.”

She glared at him. “Fill it out as completely as you can. I’m guessing you don’t have a resume.”

Phil had explained what those were, so he said, “Just give me a piece of paper and I’ll write one for you.”

“This oughta be good,” she growled and left the room. When she returned, she had three sheets of blank paper for him. “There. Anything else, Your Majesty?”

Loki grinned at her. “That title would only be appropriate if I were still king. Your Highness is acceptable. And thank you but no -- I have no need of anything.”

“Great.” Hill left the room, closing the door behind her.

The jotun returned his attention to the application. He filled out the fields with care, creating equivalencies to his past experiences where he could. Working out his birthdate had been more of a guess than an actual fact, and he choose ‘male’ despite having the spell that allowed him to shift his sex. Still, his only ‘job’ was Prince of Asgard. He actually used most of the available blanks filling out his skills.

That done, he turned to the resume. After filling out the application, it was easier to create this document: he merely replicated his skills and experiences. It turned into a long list of experiences, and Loki felt a stab of satisfaction when he was finished.

When he was done, he went back to reviewing spells, running through the complex weaves in his mind. He was interrupted when the door opened, and Agent Hill entered again. She picked up his papers and started to read. “Will you be interviewing me?” Loki asked, watching her.

“The Director will. Remotely.” Hill blinked. “You know how to use a tapestry loom?” She stared at him. “Are you taking this seriously?”

“I am very serious,” he assured her. “My mother instructed me in the use of magic through weaving. Not only is it very similar in practice, but it taught me patience and perseverance. Planning a tapestry from the beginning, using only my mind, was grand preparation for--”

“No, I mean, why would you even list that as a skill for a job?” The gamma slapped his paperwork on the table. “That is _not_ an applicable skill!”

The alpha refused to claim ignorance to a gamma he was interested in pursuing. “I disagree,” he said calmly. “For the reasons I already gave, it’s a very--”

“Don’t you think that we should decide what applies to the job?” she snapped.

Loki took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm. “Am I allowed to finish a sentence?”

She crossed her arms. “If all you’re going to do is argue with me, no.”

“Very well.” Loki smiled, determined to make her regret that statement. He remained compliantly silent as she read through the resume.

Hill frowned when she came to his references. There were three: Jane Foster, Hogun the Grim, and a very mortal name. “Wait, who is Albert Mertens?”

“A very nice alpha who lives in Germany.” Loki gave her a Cheshire grin. “I had Christmas Eve dinner with him last year.”

Hill stared at him like he’d grown another head. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all. I listed his number.” Loki stood up and leaned toward her, trying to see the paper she was studying. “I’m sorry I don’t have Jane’s or Hogun’s, but I’m sure you can reach them through my brother.”

The gamma glared at him and left the room. Loki settled back into his chair and waited for the next step. He hoped that the job he got eventually wouldn’t involve this much downtime.

~  *  ~  *  ~

“Wait, the guy Loki tried to kill for not kneeling?” Fury asked sharply.

“I called him.” Hill slapped the folder onto the director’s desk. “I talked to him personally! Mr. Mertens happily claims that Loki has been a friend of his family for about a year. How does he do that? How does he kill or nearly kill someone and befriend them later?”

“He is a master of manipulation,” Fury told her.

“This is more than that. It’s like he’s casting a spell, but it’s not actual magic. It’s like . . . he gets into everyone’s skull!” Maria started to pace. “Thor still thinks he’s awesome. Jane’s reference reflected on the fact that he invaded New York but that he came to his brother’s aid in avenging their mother. Hogun says he was a boon companion to Thor and the Warrior’s Three. What does he have to do to convince them that he’s a bad guy?”

“What if he isn’t?” Fury asked, partially hypothetically, but mostly to see the look on her face.

“Not you too!” Maria dropped into one of his spare chairs.

“Maria, in all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never oversimplified things.” Fury stared at her, the impact of his gaze not at all lessened by being one-eyed. “People don’t change but their motivations do. Romanov changed her motivations, and the world became a better place. If I don’t let the alien mass invader work for us, who do you think he’ll work for?”

She stared at him for a long moment. “I don’t like it.”

“No one is asking you to.” Fury leaned forward. “Can you work with him?”

“If you require me to, yes,” she snarled.

“Good. You’re liaising with his team. All his assignments go through you to him.” Fury watched her closely. “All reports go through you.”

She managed a tight smile. “Yes, sir. Do you want to interview him?”

“Oh, hell, no, I don’t want to talk to him.” Fury waved her toward the door. “Go tell him the good news.” After she left, he had a good laugh. Maria was the only person who could make ‘yes sir’ sound like ‘fuck you’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tendinitis sucks. -.- I will be more chatty later in the week, but for now I am on ze drugs.


	26. Birds and Bees and Alphas

The two men had left a an hour or so after dawn; Ylva had occupied herself for a time by checking over her armor and weapons and doing what minor repairs she could. There was only so much she could do without a forge and the proper tools, though, and the sun was still rather low in the sky when she was finished. She paced the perimeter of the small house and then ran through the meager furnishings and supplies for something entertaining. Loki had several books in his room, but they were far too advanced for her less-than-a-week of reading skills. Frustrated, she cleared a space in the middle of the living room and began the stretches and slow, dance-like movements of her usual workout routine.  _ If they haven’t returned by the time I’m done, I’m going out. I’ll not spend all day locked up here; it’s not like it’s a truly ‘safe’ house anyways. _

A whisper of noise caught her attention and she froze in mid-stretch. The sounds were coming from the back of the house. “I smell omega,” she heard a woman whisper.

Without breaking the smooth motion of the stretch, she came to her feet and padded silently over to where she’d laid out her swords earlier. She didn’t bother with the belt or scabbards, taking up the naked blades from the towel they’d been lying on. She crouched low and sidled up against the wall, gliding along it as she made her way towards the voice.

“An omega? Could it be the previous occupants?” The second voice was male.

There was a brief silence before the woman said, “There are three dirty bowls in the sink.”

“Shit. Retreat?” the man asked.

“No, too late. We’ve broken in now.” In a normal voice, the woman called, “Hello? Is anyone home?”

Ylva remained silent, following the mental map she’d made of house earlier to a vantage point that would let her see the interlopers. She ducked into the bedroom door, giving herself a clear view down the hall to the kitchen while still keeping herself mostly hidden. The man and the woman were both dressed darkly; the woman’s clothes tugged and pulled in ways that told Ylva she was carrying a small armory of weapons. The man had sleek black bow and scabbard strapped to his back. Neither were Ljósálfur, nor half-elves.  _ Humans. Why are they here? _

“This is crazy, Nat. What would Loki be doing with an omega?” the man asked. 

The woman frowned at him, disbelief clear on her features. “What do  _ you _ think someone like Loki would do with an omega?”

“Nothing good,” Clint muttered, touching her on the arm and then making some kind of signal. “C’mon, let’s go outside and wait for some backup.”

She heard them retreat into the house’s mudroom and exit the house. Ylva eased out of the bedroom doorway, cautiously making her way down to the kitchen with her swords still in hand. Looking around the small space, it didn’t seem that they had taken anything, and the way they’d spoken had been familiar. They knew  _ of _ Loki, at the least and they’d known he was staying here - and that he wasn’t here at the moment.

“Hi, there,” the man said from behind her. When she spun, he was standing there with his fists on his hips. “I thought I saw you trying to hide.”

She lunged forward with her blades on instinct. He swept his arms against the sharp metal, his armbraces deflecting the edges from his body. Moving quickly, he stepped inside her guard, using the advantage that she would have to drop her weapons to strike at him now and that took  _ time _ , to grab her wrists and slam them together. Pain flared out from nerves there and her fingers spasmed, dropping the swords to the floor. The woman that had been hiding behind the blond man moved in viper-quick and slid metal rings linked together around Ylva’s wrists. 

“Well, that was interesting,” the woman said, a bright red eyebrow rising as she took another look at Ylva. “Why’d you attack?”

The half-elf glanced at the metal, then at the two humans in front of her. She glared at them, dropping her hands so she could test the strength of manacles surreptitiously. “You broke in,” she answered sharply. “Why are you here?”

“We’re SHIELD agents, and this is a SHIELD safe house.” The man smirked. “It’s not so much breaking in as checking up on the property.”

She tugged just enough on the metal to realize she could easily break the restraints and narrowed her eyes at the cocky man. “Then you would have used the front door  _ and _ known who was occupying the place. Unless you’re not very  _ good _ agents.”

“We’re spies, we do what we want,” the man said sharply, his brows lowering in anger.

“Clint.” The single word was enough to silence him. Her green eyes remained on Ylva. “What are you doing here? Phil and Loki have no omega, at least not that I’ve heard.”

“We’re practicing,” she said defensively, then silently cursed at herself for telling these invaders anything.

“Practicing at being a pack?” The woman’s expression shifted to one of open concern, and Clint looked uneasy. “Are you alright with that?”

She looked between the two, not sure how to react to a show of concern over her. “It was my suggestion. How else would I learn?” Her eyes narrowed again at them and she demanded, “Why are you here? What do you want with Loki and Phil?”

“Well, with Loki, I’d kinda like his head on a platter, but I actually like Phil,” Clint said quickly.

“Loki has a history of mind-control, and we wanted to examine the house without Phil in it.” The woman smiled wryly. “We’re looking out for him, in the way that spies often do.”

“Loki is not controlling Phil’s mind. He explained his actions to Phil and then asked him to be his gamma. Phil agreed.” She held up her hands to the woman, curious if she would actually remove the manacles. They weren’t much of a barrier to Ylva’s unnatural strength, but if these two were actually not enemies it would be a good show of faith on their end.

The two exchanged a glance, before Clint shrugged. The woman freed her hands and said, “I’m Natasha Rogers, and this is Clint Rogers. Who are you?”

“And what is up with your ears?” Clint asked, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from Natasha.

Ylva looked as though the archer had slapped her, but her expression recovered almost instantly to the cold neutral she had perfected over the years. “I am Ylva and I am a half-elf.”

The female gamma didn’t miss much, even in weird situations like this. She noted the flinch and moved on to what was hopefully safer ground. “I remember Phil saying something about that, though we’ve been a little busy lately. So how do you like being part of a pack?” 

“It is . . . different,” she said carefully. “They stood with me when the Hunt came, even though that was foolish, especially for the humans.” She tilted her head, regarding them. “Are you in a pack together?”

The two exchanged a quick glance. The woman tilted her head. “Yeah. You can’t smell that, can you?”

Ylva sniffed experimentally, then shrugged. “You both smell similar to each other and a little like Phil. Are you gammas?”

“Yeeees,” Clint said, his tone making it clear that she should just know. Natasha elbowed him again.

She glared at the male gamma, then resolved to ignore him. To Natasha she said, “You have what you came for: confirmation that Loki is not controlling Phil’s mind.” The unstated  _ now leave _ hung loudly in the room.

“Yes, we did come for that, but now I’m worried about  _ you _ .” She smiled at Ylva’s startled look, adding, “You’re clearly an omega who was not told about the birds, bees, and alphas. I want to be sure you’re okay, and make sure you’re getting the instruction you need.”

“What do birds and bees have to do with alphas? And why would I need instructions regarding them?” Ylva crossed her arms, annoyed and confused again. “The impression I had been given is that omegas are viewed as competent only in childbearing. Are they supposed to raise animals for the pack, as well? It would make them marginally more useful, at least.” She muttered the last part, her disdain for her gender’s expected life of leisure quite clear. 

“Oh, boy.” Natasha sighed. “You don’t need to raise animals, and producing children isn’t your  _ only _ contribution. It is what society expects of you, but our omega breaks those stereotypes.” Just thinking of her cute blonde brought a goofy grin to Natasha’s face. “You have more choice and freedom than you thought but you’re going to need a pack that supports that. And you need to navigate the world a little better. For example, you noticed how Clint and I smell very, very similar. That’s our pack scent. Everyone in our pack will have that same similarity, and our individual smells are the differences. 

“Phil smells just like a gamma, with no pack markings.” Natasha thought a second and added, “We could get you a book that explains this better, a scent-infused one that lets you smell packed and unbound. Would you like that?”

“I suppose. Loki has been teaching me to read, but it still goes slowly. And I am practicing at being in a pack with him and Phil because they did not seem to mind the idea of an omega that did more than just be pregnant.” She frowned and added, “All these scents and what they mean, it is confusing. The Ljósálfur have no such thing and often wear heavy perfumes. My room always smelled of flowers, the training areas of sweat and leather, and the Arena of blood and dirt and death. They were straightforward smells and did not mean so many different things.”

“The ‘arena’?” Clint asked sharply, exchanging wary glances with the female gamma. “I assume that you aren’t talking about the great American sport of football.”

“No,” she returned just as sharply to him, “I am speaking of the gladiatorial Arena of the mistlands, where the Ljósálfur nobles would pit their slaves and beasts against one another for sport and prestige.”

They stared at her for a moment. “And Phil knows about this? I mean, you told him?” Natasha asked.

“Yes,” she said, then shrugged. “There is little he can do about it. His authority does not extend past this realm. It is more something for Loki to contend with, or his father Odin.”

Another exchanged glance between the two; Ylva was getting the feeling that the two gammas had worked together for a long time and could almost read each other’s minds. “And Loki is acting on this? Or at least acting like he’s interested?” Natasha didn’t sound like she quite believed her own words.

“He was angry when he heard. The King of Asgard had forbidden the Ljósálfur to take or keep human slaves, but the Ljósálfur of the mistlands ignored him and their own king, Freyr, who is a vassal of Odin. He said he or anyone of Asgard would have rescued me - from my mother, from the Goblin Market, or from the mistlands - had they known what was going on.” She tilted her head and asked Natasha curiously, “Why does this surprise you?”

“Because Loki tried to enslave our world,” she said.

“Which makes his motivation ‘getting into your pants’,” Clint added gruffly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meds. They are dumb. And necessary. -.-


	27. HR

She blinked at him again and said, “He wouldn’t fit in my pants and he has his own.” Before he could respond, she perked up and added, “Oh, that is a reference to having sex with me? He has not, nor has he asked to. Do alphas and omegas engage in sex when the omega is not in heat?”

Clint had started laughing at her pants comment, and he couldn’t stop. It fell to Natasha to be the grownup and say, “Yes. Sex between packs members helps them bond, even if they’re still open. Gammas, in particular, like sex but alphas are a close second.”

Ylva considered that, “So, Phil will want to have sex with me as well?” Neither Clint nor Natasha had ever come across quite this conundrum: a sword-wielding omega with no real concept of packsex. “And any other gammas Loki brings into the pack as well, I assume. What about. . .” it took her a moment to track down the word, but finally she asked, “the beta? There’s only one beta, correct? One alpha, one beta, one omega unless you’re polygamous, which Loki isn’t, and then multiple gammas.” 

“That depends on the pack,” Natasha said before Clint tried to help.

“See, there’s this position called Treasure Position,” he said, “where the alpha is under the omega-- Ow!”

“She doesn’t need a graphic description,” the redhead said firmly. “All you really need to know, Ylva, is that packsex varies by the pack, but that almost all packs have sex together at least once.”

“Hmn,” Ylva mused. “I wonder if that will be something we practice as well, then.” 

“That is a conversation you need to have with Loki and Phil, or whomever you end up packing with.” Natasha paused, then added, “Omegas are not supposed to have sex until they are bound, if you follow social mores. That doesn’t mean it's right, but that’s society for you. Some packs get upset if their omegas have had sex with someone not in the pack. Some don’t care. So just be careful having sex before bonding, or bonding people who are asshats.”

“And be careful of gammas intruding on territory.” Loki’s voice behind them made Natasha and Clint jump and spin. Ylva was just as startled; he hadn’t been there a second ago! Natasha had a gun on him, while Clint’s bow popped open and he had an arrow nocked in seconds.

Ylva dove between the two gammas, grabbing her swords and rolling up beside Loki. The pair might have been friendly a moment ago, but that did not mean they wouldn’t attack now. She had learned such lessons painfully in the arena. She looked to Loki, waiting of a sign of what to do.

“Don’t do it,” Clint said, his voice a hard growl. “I have an arrow I’ve been saving for you, asshole.”

“You’re invading my home. I’m well within my rights to turn you inside out and drop you in your alpha’s lap.” Loki glared at them. “Who is your alpha?”

“Steve Rogers, and I’m sure he’d like a go with you too,” Natasha said coolly. “He grew up in New York.”

“Are you declaring war on behalf of your alpha?” Loki asked, smiling tightly. “If you are, I’ll be calling the police.”

The two gammas exchanged glances before Clint laughed. “You, Loki, the Invader of New York -- you’re seriously going to call the police.”

“You’re right. They aren’t the appropriate authorities for dealing with criminals of your skill.” A phone appeared in Loki’s hand and he poked at the screen. “I believe a call to SHIELD is in order. I’m afraid the only number I have is for Clara in HR, but I’m sure she can connect me.”

“Why would you call SHIELD?” the female gamma asked.

“Because I have super-powered home invaders, and I believe that it’s appropriate to ask for their help.” His grin sharpened as he drove in the knife. “After all, I need to be on my best behavior so they’ll hire me.”

“Oh, you are fucking with us, I get it.” Clint’s arrow sighted in on his eye. “You’re an--”

“Hello, Loki.” Clara’s voice came out of the speaker phone. “I told you we’d be in touch with you in a few days.”

“Yes, I’m aware, but that’s not why I’m calling, Clara.” The jotun’s voice purred with pleasure as he spoke. “Please let the appropriate authorities know that I have home invaders. Given my history and the lecture I got from Agent Hill, I thought I should let SHIELD handle the issue instead of taking direct action.”

“Okay, are you safe? Do you know who they are?” she asked.

“I sincerely doubt that Hawkeye or Black Widow can hurt me. Go on, speak to them if you don’t believe me,” he said. “I’m reasonably safe, so long as they don’t hurt my omega.”

“Clint?” Clara asked. “Natasha?”

“This is a fucking joke, right?” Clint asked.

“Loki Odinson has applied for an agent-on-contract position at SHIELD,” the HR Director said wearily. “I can’t release any more information, but I suggest you and Natasha leave immediately.”

“Safe code?” Natasha asked.

“Viper’s run.” Clara sighed. “Please leave before the STRIKE team arrives.”

“Let’s go,” the female gamma said, edging away from Loki, toward the back door.

“I’m going to have so many words with Fury,” Clint vowed angrily. 

“So long as you have them somewhere else.” Loki waited until they were gone. “Thank you, Clara.”

“I’m just following protocol. I’ll call off the STRIKE team.” Her voice was icy as she hung up.

“I’m making friends already,” Loki muttered bitterly. Turning to Ylva, he asked, “Are you well? Did they hurt you?”

Ylva finally eased out of her battle-ready stance and nodded. “They managed to knock my swords from me and laid manacles on me, but they did not harm me. Nor could the metal have held me, though they did not seem to know that. They said,” she paused and searched for words for a moment, then settled on, “many things. Mostly about packs.”

He took her hand and pulled her gently into the living room. Sitting down with her, he traced her fingers with his own as he guessed, “And now you have questions.”

She nodded, pleased he seemed willing to put up with her endless stream of queries. She thought back through the conversation she had with the Rogers gammas and simply began at the first one. “Do you want to have sex with me? I mean, even when I’m not in heat.”

_ Of course _ . He’d come in at the end of the conversation and had caught some of that. “At this moment, no. Sex is always pleasant, but I do not want it from you at this stage in our relationship.” A thought occurred to him and he tried to keep his voice neutral as he asked, “Do you want that?”

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, then flushed and sighed at her own ignorance. “I’m still not certain I understand what all it involves. Does Phil want to have sex with me? Or all of us together? Or just you?”

He resisted the urge to drop his face into his hands. “We will all want to have sex with one another. If the bond takes, you will love us. You will want us, and we will love and want you.”

“What is it like? All I really know of it was the man that you said tried to rape me.” She leaned against him, thinking. “They said gammas really like sex, so does that mean Phil wants sex all the time?”

“Probably,” Loki admitted as he curved an arm around her.  _ I wasn’t interested in sex until it was all you could talk about, _ he thought to himself. “Though it’s not that he wants it more. Because they can’t get pregnant, gammas are free to experiment with sex, and many of them view it as a primary means of showing and receiving affection.”

She settled in against him, appreciating the comfort of touch and his unique smell of October and snowfall. “Oh. Would he be a good teacher, then?”

“You don’t need to be taught about sex,” Loki said quickly, surprised he was a little jealous of her going to Phil. “It’s something you can learn by doing.”

She frowned. “But you said you didn’t want to, and Phil is a gamma and gammas like sex. I dislike always feeling so ignorant.”

“It’s not-- You’re not-- Gods, Ylva!” With a growl, he pulled her into his lap, trapping her with his arms. “If you want sex, Phil and I will happily give it to you. But you must understand -- it’s more than bodies pressing together. For me, it’s an act of love between myself and pack.” He remembered Hogun and added, “Most of the time.”

She’d started at his sudden move, but unlike the man from her memories, she wasn’t  _ afraid _ . Not exactly. Her heart rate did jump and she was startled, but at the tone of his voice, the thread of frustration and something else, she found herself pressing against him and giving a low laugh. “Then teach me. Like you do with reading. Start simple and you know I’ll learn fast.”

“Why now?” he asked her, even as he slid a hand up her neck to bury in her hair. “What else did those gammas tell you?”

“About sex?” She shrugged, watching him curiously. “That socially omegas aren’t supposed to have sex outside their pack and the blond one, Clint, started to say something about ‘the treasure position’, but Natasha cut him off before he could explain more. Apparently it starts with the omega on top of the alpha?” She pressed into his hand, liking the feel of his fingers against her scalp. “Oh, and that sex helps a pack bond.”

“It shouldn’t be part of a practice pack,” he said, hating that he was warning her away from sex with him.

“Sex in general or Clint Rogers’ treasure position?” She was watching him with hooded eyes and just the slightest tug of a smile on her lips; he might be imagining it, but she also might be  _ teasing _ him. 

“Either,” he said, his voice warming. It was getting harder to think clearly; her light banter was as sexually appealing as a bared breast to him. He spread his hand wide against her back as he took a gentle handful of hair. “Sex is something you should do with your pack, and if we are doing the Treasure Position, it’s not practice anymore.”

“Well, then what  _ is _ practice?” she asked with her unusual mix of innocence and directness. “What are you willing to do? Would you describe the rest to me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this week Deprough and MalachiteDrake are answering the questions we've asked so far! Malachite is off ze drugs now, so hopefully we'll be back in the full swing of questions and responses going forward. We will be out of town at the end of the month, so we might a chapter or two without questions around that time. :)
> 
> 1) Who's your favorite Bound character so far and why?
> 
> Deprough: Hogun. There's so little about him the movies, that I've gotten to build him the way I see him. A couple of times the character has inserted his own vision in interesting ways! He's a lot of fun to write for.
> 
> MalachiteDrake: Mmmm....that's a hard one. I love how the gender dynamics change interactions between people, but it's hard to pinpoint a singe person. I think I'd have to go with Clint, just because the gamma dynamic seems to have made him even *more* of a smartass. 
> 
>  
> 
> 2) What's been your favorite plot or scene in the fiction so far? Why? What would you like to see more or less of in the story?
> 
> Deprough: A bonus fic we haven't posted yet. It's called 'Albert'. It ties in a very minor character who I think should have had more impact on the character of Loki than the movies had time for.
> 
> Malachite: Up until Great Hunt? Homecoming. I loved the interaction between Phil and the young gamma girl that instinctively stepped in to protect Ylva. I think it was a great snapshot of how the genders effect day to day life in the world. 
> 
>  
> 
> 3) Which genders would you give the canon characters? Why?
> 
> Deprough & Malachite: We gave them the genders in the story, obvioiusly. We did originally have Bucky as a beta and Sam as a gamma, but that's because Malachite had been reading a lot of vanilla A/B/O fics with alpha!Steve and beta!Bucky. Sam makes much more sense for the 'housewife' of Steve's pack, while Steve and Bucky's history makes it much more likely that Bucky was Steve's first gamma. 
> 
>  
> 
> 4) If you could make packs out of the Avengers/other MCU characters, which would be your favorite grouping?
> 
> Deprough: Steve's pack, with a canon omega, perhaps the Scarlet Witch. 
> 
> Malachite: Loki's final pack. ;) As for taking out the OC, I could see moving Darcie into the omega spot and Hogun into an interesting beta. 
> 
>  
> 
> Now for links!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over twenty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!
> 
> Next week: New questions! Suggest some if you have ideas!


	28. Show Me

“Practice is what we’ve been doing - letting you feel out what it’s like to be in a pack,” he forced out, unable to stop lightly pressing his erection into her. “What I’m willing to do is ravage you until Phil comes home, then drag him into it and show you what packsex is. But you’re not mine, Ylva. You’ll be someone’s someday, and it’s wrong for me to treat you that way if I don’t intend on keeping you.”

“I meant ‘what is practice sex’ or what can we do that is like sex, but not.” She watched in that intent way she had, then added, “Or would Phil know better since he’s a gamma?”   

Loki growled a little. “Oh, Phil would know, but he’d not touch you for the same reasons.”  _ Or he’d better not. Also, if you don’t penetrate her, it’s not really sex, is it? She’d still be untouched _ .  _ Gods, she smells good. _ He twisted to the side, tumbling her to the couch underneath him. “There are things we  _ could _ do,” he said, too aware that he was justifying what he was thinking about, “that aren’t just sex.”

“Like?” she said from underneath him, a touch of impatience in her tone. “Show me,” she insisted.

He lowered his head and kissed her, knowing he’d lost the battle. He was going to cross a line and probably pay a price for this, but he  _ was _ Loki, God of Lies. He’d been trying to shake that appellation for a long time, but it didn’t matter anymore. He wasn’t going to be trusted, no matter what he did, so he might as well do one thing that would make him happy. He schooled her through it, and when she opened her mouth to his, he showed her how to explore with a kiss.

The feel of his lips on hers was strange, but all her senses were quickly becoming overwhelmed by the taste of him, his scent against her skin, and his weight pressing down on her. She responded to his nudges of instruction, but she was thinking less and less and simply reacting. Her body felt strange and warm; she decided she liked the feeling and wrapped her arms around her sort-of alpha.

Using his hand in her hair, he tilted her head back so that he could nip at her throat. A remaining shred of propriety kept him from marking her and he moved lower, tugging her shirt down so he could feather kisses onto her shoulder. Instinct made her arch her neck and give out her own growl of protest as he moved away from the highly sensitive area. Her hands pressed against his back, half guiding and half demanding he move back up.

With a chuckle, he did inch back up, taking his sweet time, licking and sucking and kissing -- up to her ear. Shifting so that he pinned her a little more securely to the couch, he nibbled on her ear and kissed its tapered point. She let out a sharp breath at the feel of his teeth on the delicate skin and he could feel her whole body tense and shudder underneath him. For a moment he was concerned, unsure what her reaction meant, but then she turned in towards him, pressing her body hard against his, and laying her own kisses along the curve of his neck. 

He ripped her t-shirt open, sundering the cheap blue cotton and revealing her body to him. She wasn’t wearing a bra, a fact he’d been somewhat aware of before this moment. With a groan, he caught a peaked nipple in his mouth. Instinctively, his hips curved up, his erection pushing against her--then he shifted into his female form. She might have no more control over her desires, but she could prevent taking the sex too far. Holding Ylva’s hair so that it pulled her neck into a long, smooth line, Loki alternated kissing and stroking her neck and breasts, working the omega’s body into a state of sexual need.

And Ylva did  _ need _ : needed to move and needed to touch. She pulled blindly at Loki’s clothes, only dimly aware of her partner’s change in sex. “Make it go away,” she demanded with a frustrated moue as her fingers failed to find any easy means of divesting the jotun of her clothing. 

“Not so fast, my omega,” Loki murmured, trailing soft lips over her bare skin. “I have to be sure that you understand each step before we continue to the next.”

Ylva pushed against Loki, trying to roll her over and take the advantage of height. It was a bold move; omegas were usually socialized to be pliant and submissive, but Ylva was a warrior first and used to battlefield tactics to get what she wanted. 

Loki used her greater strength to keep the half-elf on bottom -- barely. Ylva was a well trained fighter and Loki was  _ very _ distracted by her plans for what to do next. “Now, now,” she chided, kissing her way to Ylva’s belly button before reaching a problem. Going lower would mean giving up control and there was no way the alpha could do that, not in their first sexual encounter. Sitting up, she turned around on the other woman, straddling her and bending over her legs. Grinning, she stripped Ylva’s pants and underwear off of her and tossed them to the floor. 

“Oh, gods,” Loki breathed, gazing at the other woman’s sex. The scent of an aroused omega was heady, and she opened Ylva’s legs with her hands. Her slit and its fine green hair glistened with arousal, and her clit was already poking out of its hood. With another groan, Loki lowered her head and licked her deeply, taking her first true taste of her omega.

Ylva’s gasp of pleasure was nearly as sweet as the her taste; the omega arched up again as Loki flicked her tongue over her clit and then along each side of her sex. The omega’s arms wrapped around the alpha’s legs, her hands gripping tightly to Loki’s hips. She pressed her face against the alpha’s calf, still annoyed at the fell of cloth instead of skin but far too distracted to put words together in any coherent manner. 

Loki grinned at her successful ravaging before giving herself over to enjoying the sex. Her fingers were next, tracing the outer lips as her tongue focused on her clit and slit. When her fingers were wet, she dipped them lower, tracing the small red bud of her ass and noting Ylva’s reactions to each motion. The jotun alpha used all her tricks on the omega, save penetration. 

The half-elf’s lack of sexual knowledge was as much boon as bane, for she also had no inhibitions or trained dislikes. She spread her legs wide for Loki, raising her ass into the air to let the alpha touch her wherever she wanted. Her body ached with need and pleasure; she wanted  _ more _ , but all she could get out was a breathless, “Loki!”

The jotun heard the front door open, and Phil’s voice, but she didn’t care. She only slowed her maddening touches until the gamma stopped in the door of the living room, eyes wide. “Loki?” he asked.

“Join us,” the alpha purred.

“Ylva?” Phil asked.

The omega held out a hand to the gamma, beckoning him closer. Her voice was low and husky with desire and the words came slowly through her haze of pleasure. “Take off her clothes,” she begged. “Need to touch.”

“Come fuck me,” Loki ordered. “But not her. She only gets to orgasm.”

“Wow.” Phil sighed and stripped off his coat, adding sardonically, “I’m not fucking anyone on a couch. I have standards.”

He moved to the side of the two women and began to pry them apart. “Be careful,” Loki warned as he freed Ylva. “She’s rather insistent.”

True to the alpha’s word, once free Ylva immediately latched onto Phil, using her newly acquired kissing skills on the gamma’s neck. Instinct led her to the sensitive patches of skin along his throat meant for marking, even as her hands began pulling insistently at his clothes.  

“What happened?” Phil asked, meaning the question for either. His voice was steady only because of years of practice masking his emotions and ignoring his overactive libido.

“Hawkeye and Black Widow were here and they talked about sex.” Loki was quick to pass on the blame. “I was irritated when they were here, but I have to say, it’s hard to be angry with them now.”

Phil opened his mouth to say more, but Ylva kissed him and rational thought left the gamma. The three of them stumbled into the bedroom, Ylva working out how to remove a tie and undo a button-up shirt. Loki took off the jacket while Phil let them undress him. He was already erect and they paused to let Ylva explore his body. 

She had seen naked men before, but this was the first time that she was interacting with one that wasn’t a violent confrontation. She ran her hands over the smooth muscles of his chest, tickling her nose on the hairs there. Everywhere she touched she trailed soft kisses afterward, stepping around him as she moved to his back and then down over the curve of his ass and along the back of his legs. When she returned to his front, she was kneeling as she kissed her way over his knees and thighs. 

The gamma shivered with the effort to remain still, but he couldn’t stop from reaching out and running his fingers through her green hair when it was in reach. Loki pressed herself against his back, her fingernails scratching lightly over his chest and stomach. The jotun had changed her clothing to green lace lingerie, unwilling to get naked yet.

Ylva continued her exploration, running light fingertips up the inside of Phil’s thighs and over the base of his cock. Slowly, she traced along the lines of his cock, watching the gamma’s face to see how he responded to each touch and stroke. He shivered under her touch, involuntarily thrusting at her a little. “You can do to him what I did to you,” Loki whispered, delighting in watching his gamma and omega play together. 

Her eyes flicked to the alpha and she licked her lips, then leaned in and kissed along the trail her fingers had left. Her tongue flicked out as she went with feather-light licks along his shaft; when she came to his head, she took just the tip into her mouth, sucking on it as Loki had done to her clit. Phil groaned and arched his hips, pushing his cock a little deeper into her mouth. Loki reached down and circled his shaft with her fingers, drawing another soft sound out of him. With a wicked smile, she guided them back to the bed and laid Phil down on it, Ylva still attached. Letting the omega do as she wished to his head, she started to lick and stroke his shaft.

With Loki so close now, her and Phil’s scents intermingled; instincts long dormant in the omega came roaring to the fore. She sucked more firmly on Phil’s tip, taking cues from the sounds and motions he made. She was fighting to keep focus on him, though, as her own body was demanding something  _ more _ . 

“Wait, I want to get fucked and he’s going to come soon,” Loki murmured, brushing a hand over Ylva’s face. “I have a better idea - are you interested?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New questions! I hope you guys are enjoying the questions; it's fun to hear from our readers and to think on the answers to our questions ourselves! If you have any questions you'd like asked, please feel free to post them in the comments or send either of us a private message. 
> 
> 1)What's your favorite genre mash-up? 
> 
> 2) Who's your MCU soulmate?
> 
>  
> 
> Now for links!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over twenty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!


	29. A Better Idea

She pressed her cheek against the alpha’s hand, her skin flushed and warm. She nodded and took advantage of the moment to steal another kiss from Loki. “What?” she asked breathily.

“Move up and straddle his face.” Loki stroked him again, enjoying the sound of pleasure he made. “I’ll take care of this end, and then you and I can play, too.” It took a moment to get everyone situated, but soon Ylva was settling over Phil’s face. He grabbed her hips and hungrily licked at her slit. Loki had been slower and more careful; Phil was eager to give her pleasure and he lapped and sucked with abandon.

Loki straddled his hips, holding his cock in place as she guided it into her entrance. Phil cried out as she took him inside her slick heat, the sound reverberating through Ylva’s body. Sitting up and facing one another, Loki pulled Ylva close and kissed her, her hands playing with her breasts. 

Ylva threw her arms around Loki as she moaned, needing the support of the other woman to stay stable as Phil pushed her almost immediately to new heights of pleasure. The three found a common tempo as they kissed and fucked; Ylva buried her head in the curve of Loki’s neck, reduced to throaty moans as she fell apart under the dual ministrations. 

Loki didn’t slow down her pleasuring of either of her lovers. Her inner walls tightened and flexed around his length as she smoothly rode him. Cradling Ylva tenderly, she touched every part of her that Phil couldn’t, learning the places where the half-elf was sensitive and memorizing them. Between Phil’s eagerness and Loki’s wicked instincts on just how to wind her omega up, Ylva’s moans became louder and faster until she felt her whole body tense. Pleasure lit through her like wildfire, her orgasm chasing through her body and leaving her muscles weak. She panted into Loki’s shoulder, giving small shudders as Phil continued to lick and tease her even as his own thrusts into Loki took on a demanding pace.

Loki pulled Ylva to her, tucking the half-elf’s legs over her hips. With long practice, she pressed their bodies together and held her close, letting her feel the rhythm as she moved faster on Phil’s cock. Her speed let her match his thrusts, and it wasn’t long before the gamma came with a moan of release. 

The jotun slowed and stopped, enjoying having her lovers close. She waited patiently for them to recover from their orgasms, content to just touch them for now. The alpha knew she would come; it was only a matter of who and how.

Ylva curled up languidly against Loki, one arm draped back so she could trace her fingers over Phil’s stomach. He was still breathing hard, his hands on Loki’s thighs. As he came down from the high, he reached out and slid one hand along Ylva’s back, feeling a moment of utter intimate contentment.  _ Remind me to send Clint and Natasha a gift basket, _ he told himself. 

Part of Loki really wanted to lay Ylva back on Phil and fuck her until the gamma recovered enough to join in, but that stupid sense of propriety held her back. After a moment, she laid her down anyway, grinning when Phil moved his hands to cup her breasts. With the half-elf’s legs still over her own, it left her sex splayed wide, and Loki started to casually stroke her again.

The omega wasn’t sure if she could go through that again so quickly, but her body seemed to be more than up for the challenge. Her nipples hardened under Phil’s ministrations and she began to buck against Loki’s fingers. Phil’s body started to respond as well, and with a quick wiggle, Loki had his cock sliding back into her. “You guys are going to be the death of me,” the gamma groaned before starting to nibble on Ylva’s neck. 

“No one dies before I get to come,” Loki said with mock sternness, one hand holding Ylva open wide so she could play with her clit with the other hand. 

Ylva tried to speak, but she couldn’t find any consonants and her vowels just kept turning into moans punctuated by the flick of Loki’s finger across her clit. One thought did finally manage to make it from brain to body and she wiggled down just far enough for her hand to reach Loki. It took several attempts for her to find the small nub of pleasure on the alpha, but she was proving to be a  _ very _ quick study. Loki gasped as she rode her gamma and her omega slid a slick finger over her clit, using Loki’s own movement to set the pace.

“Naughty. Omega,” Loki gasped, leaning down to bite Ylva’s stomach. It wasn’t hard enough to really hurt but when the alpha lifted her head and saw the bare imprints of her teeth, she came. Her fingers paused their ministrations, and Loki suddenly couldn’t bare to be female any longer. She lifted off of Phil and shifted to male, still feeling the last throbs of pleasure. 

The gamma’s cock was slick enough still, and Loki guided it into his ass. Phil groaned aloud into Ylva’s shoulder as Loki slid the omega to him and pressed his cock against her slit. Some part of him was careful to keep from actually penetrating her, but gods did he  _ want _ to. When he rose off Phil, he pressed into Ylva, and his fingers joined his cock in pleasuring her.

The half-elf writhed on top of the gamma, her senses overwhelmed and her instincts demanding more, demanding her alpha. She dug her heels into the bed and pressed her shoulders into Phil’s chest, using the leverage to buck hard against Loki’s hand and cock. Her desire was clear and heady aroma of all three of them together beat against the self-control of the prince. 

He pressed into her harder, balancing on one hand so that he could continue to give her pleasure with the other. It would be so easy - a shift and and a twist of his hips, and he could satisfy both of them. He resisted his body’s call to do just that, unwilling to damage Ylva’s possible suitors in the future. He focused on her ecstasy, not his own, and on Phil’s needs. The gamma was near a second release, his body giving Loki the signs that he was close. 

Phil’s hands wandered down from Ylva’s breasts, wrapping her in his embrace as he thrust harder and faster into Loki. He buried his nose in her hair and locked lust-filled eyes with the alpha. “Make her come, Loki,” he demanded huskily. “I want to hear you both come again.”

Gammas begging in bed were such a turnon, and Loki complied. He used his shaft to stimulate Ylva’s entire slit while he kept started to circle her clit and give it periodic squeezes with his fingers. The gentle massaging combined with exciting every nerve in her pussy pushed her over the edge. Ylva arched as her body was racked with ecstasy. Her cries sent Phil crashing into his own orgasm, his cock throbbing and pulsing in Loki’s ass. The jotun himself let go of his own iron control, letting the wonder of his lovers’ bodies and the knowledge that he’d fucked them insensate again bring him over. His semen shot up Ylva’s body to splatter her belly, and Loki almost collapsed. He pulled himself off Phil and dropped to the bed next to him, wrapping an arm over Ylva. For a moment, the room was silent except for the three catching their breaths.

Ylva shifted off of Phil and wedged a space for herself between the two men. “Mmm,” she hummed in contentment, “I liked that. We should do that often.”

Loki groaned. “I’m not sure I can control myself if we do this again. It was close this time.” He felt Phil look sharply at him, but the gamma said nothing.

She nuzzled into the alpha, her hands idly exploring his chest. “I didn’t ask you to,” she pointed out. “I merely said that was what the Rogers gammas said is socially expected.”

“I asked myself to,” he told her softly, lifting her chin to give her a gentle kiss. “As alpha, I’m supposed to care for you, in all ways.”

She sighed and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She didn’t have an answer for that, only a gnawing hunger for him inside her. She didn’t  _ want _ him to be responsible or respectful, she  _ wanted _ him to pin back down to the bed or back on to Phil and fill her with far more than a tongue or fingers. Just the thought of it was making her legs tremble again. Wasn’t that caring for her, too?

Phil rolled toward her and curled his arm around her, leaving her sandwiched between the two men. They were both idly stroking her, their fingers gently tracing the contours of her body. Loki would have laid there forever, but he heard Phil’s stomach growl.  _ We need a beta. _ He thought again of the loud brunette in his brother’s pack, but she’d been very clear. “I’m going to make some dinner,” he said, willing his clothing to return as he pushed away from his lovers. “Stay here and enjoy yourselves.”

The grin Ylva gave him at that command was dangerous; she turned on the bed to face the gamma, nipping coquettishly at his shoulder. Loki gave Phil a look to remind him to behave before he disappeared into the kitchen. “So,” the gamma said, ignoring her nips at his shoulder, “would  _ you  _ like to tell me what happened today?”

She gave him a quick recap of the events of the day since he and Loki had left, from her boredom to exactly how she and Loki had ended up in the position he found them on the couch. “Is there more you can teach me about sex, Phil?” she asked earnestly, twining her legs with his. “I want to be proficient at it. So far, I  _ enjoy _ it.”

“Actually,” he said with a teasing grin, “this is part of it.”

“What is?” she asked, smiling back at him.

“Snuggling. Cuddling. Talking. Touching.” He kissed her lightly and said, “It doesn’t seem like much, but these are the things that make sex special. The things that tell you someone cares.”

She burrowed into his warmth, smiling, but her tone was rueful, “Hrm. I should probably go relieve Loki of cooking duty, though. Unless he’s just ordering us something. If we actually want to eat, I mean.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “This bed is  _ really _ comfy.” 

His stomach let out another growl and Ylva giggled. She lifted her head and called out, “Loki, are you cooking or ordering?”

“I am cooking.” His voice sounded a little indignant. “There is a large lump of meat in the cold box, and as soon as I devise the best way to start a fire in this strange cooking box, I’ll start the meal.”

“Cooking box?” Phil’s eyes widened and he said, “Are you talking about the stove?” He slid off the bed, grabbing his underwear. Ylva made a face and reluctantly gave up the bed as well. At least he hadn't  _ already  _ set the house on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No questions for this week...I am back to shoulder pain ickyness. Also, hydrocodone side effects and withdrawal. It's dumb. Also dizzying and nauseating. No more hydrocodone for me. -.-
> 
> Now for links!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over twenty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!


	30. Bonus Story: Albert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus story for leap year! :)

Loki lingered in the shadow of the awning, heedless of the cold pressing in on him. His target was across the street at a deli, eating with his family. The pack was small -- only one gamma -- but they were happy, talking and laughing over their food. He felt a moment of envy.

The jotun shifted, uncomfortable in his clothing. He’d copied the outfit of another young alpha on the street, even though he detested it on sight. The green shirt was thick and baggy, with a hood attached. Ridiculous strings hang down from the neck of the garment, and pulling on them oddly tightened the hood. The dark blue pants and strange footwear all served to make him feel uncomfortable. He wished he’d been able to wear his preferred clothing, but this was not far from the museum where he’d killed a man. He had no desire to be recognized.

The alpha rose, white-haired and unsteady, leaning on his cane. As Loki watched, the entire family stood and hugged, then parted ways. The gamma walked off with the beta and omega, and the alpha went back to the small shop where he worked. 

Loki followed him, stalking him as he went about his day. It wasn’t until dusk that the jotun had his chance. The alpha closed up the shop and began a slow walk home. After a block or two, Loki called, “Albert Mertens?”

The alpha turned, frowning at the unfamiliar man approaching him. “Yes?” he asked, then his eyes widened. “You!”

Loki held up his hands. “I mean you no harm. If I had, I would have struck when you ate lunch today, with your pack.” 

“What do  _ you _ want?” Albert hissed, his craggy face twisted into a scowl.

“I want to talk to you.” Loki swallowed. “To ask you something, so that I understand.”

Albert stared for a moment. “Why did you attack New York?”

“I will answer your questions, if you would spare me time for mine,” Loki replied.

“I could call the police,” Albert warned.

“Yes, but I would be gone before they came.” Loki spread his hands wider. “I ask only for your time.”

The old alpha studied him in silence. “Very well. Tell me why, then I’ll answer you.”

“I was under an alien influence, from the same place that the creatures came.” Loki saw the other alpha shift on his feet, which he’d been on for hours. The jotun gestured to a nearby bench, and Albert stiffly accepted the seat. “I had no desire to take your realm until I fell into his hands. My desire was forced upon me by him.”

“So you say,” the old alpha replied. 

“Will you answer me now?” Loki asked. Albert gave a gruff nod, and the younger-looking alpha cleared his throat. “Why did you stand? Of all the people there, why you?”

Albert stiffened. “What do you know of our culture?”

“Some.” Loki smiled grimly. “Not much in the last thousand years, and almost nothing outside of the northern parts of Europe.”

“When I was a boy, there was a man who rose to power in my country.” Albert’s voice was hard enough to grind stones. “He oppressed my people and then conquered other countries and did the same to them. He demanded total obedience, and that everyone kneel. When other countries finally stopped him, I remember wondering why us Germans allowed him to rise, and I vowed that I would never kneel for another tyrant.”

“It would have meant your death.” Loki frowned. “I don’t understand -- how could you leave your pack?”

“Because I  _ lead _ my pack. That is more than providing food, or acting as a despot over them. Part of my duties are to lead the way through example.” Albert narrowed his eyes. “Did no one teach you that leading means being the person you want your family and children to be?”

Loki frowned. “I think my father may have tried to teach me.” He grimaced. “My adoptive father.”

“Why do you make that face?” Albert scowled. “Did he not raise you? Feed you? Care for you? Love you?”

“Not as much as my brother, his son by blood.” The jotun felt that old pain, only to be jarred out of it when the other alpha touched his arm. 

“I adopted, too. In my church, a young omega became pregnant. We took in the child.” Albert locked eyes with him. “There are many things an alpha thinks when he raises another’s child. It is always a choice. Your father chose to love you, and no matter what you have done, he still loves you. You are his son.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Loki looked at his hands, clenched into tight fists. “He doesn’t know that I was controlled, or that many of the things I did in our realm were done out of love for my people.” 

“Why do you not tell him?” Albert shifted on his bench.

“Why would he believe me?” Loki asked softly. “I am tried and convicted, in his mind.”

“But not in his heart.” He patted Loki’s arm. “Someday, when you are ready, speak to him. Show him your heart and let him show you his.”

“Perhaps,” Loki allowed. 

“I don’t know if I like you, but I think you are not an evil man.” Albert rose and brushed off his pants. “Maybe a lost one. Definitely a lonely one. Come with me. My beta is a wonderful cook, and she loves to fatten up unbound alphas. It makes her happy.”

“You’re not afraid of me?” Loki asked, his brow furrowing. 

“I was never afraid of you.” Albert smiled. “Hitler taught me that evil men always fall. Come, eat with my family. Share our warmth and food.”

Loki couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face. “Very well,” he said, rising. “I shall.”

“What is your realm like?” Albert asked as they walked on through the gathering night. With a smile, Loki began to tell him, and the cold lost its bite in the warmth of company.


	31. Tests

Ylva felt strange being in public unarmed and unarmored, but both Phil and Loki had assured her that the Avengers Tower was a safe place. It was certainly _large_ ; the Ljósálfur built grand palaces, but more sprawling complexes than tall towers. She tugged at the green sweater she’d been given to wear, feeling nearly naked despite the warm thickness of the wool; Loki curled an arm around her, pulling her close. “I still don’t see why I couldn’t bring my swords at least,” she grumbled quietly.

“Because some people here are ridiculously quick to take offense,” he told her, “and I don’t want them to see you as a threat.” He thought about telling her that _he_ had her swords, hidden by magic, but it was also good for her to not see herself as a warrior. “Today you don’t have to worry about being attacked.”

“We’re among friends,” Phil added, giving Loki a sharp glance. “You won’t need them.”

“What if another Hunt comes? Or someone attacks your friends?” The omega countered testily, but her irritation was a pretty transparent cover for her nervousness. Loki’s arm around her helped, but she reached a hand out to Phil as well, tugging the gamma closer to her. Since their tryst after the Rogers gammas broke into the safe house, the omega had taken every chance she could find to touch the two men.

“Oh, my friends can take care of themselves,” Phil told her with a smile, folding his other hand over hers as well.

“Besides,” Loki grumbled, “the only person to be attacked is _me_.”

Ylva frowned, instantly tense. “Then I should have my swords!”

“He’s exaggerating,” Phil soothed.

“Mostly,” a handsome male - Ylva thought he was an alpha - with an ornate goatee said as he approached them from across the large space. “Reindeer makes one wrong move and it’ll be true.” His brown eyes flicked over her. “You must be Ylva, fresh from the North Pole. I’m Tony Stark.” He was followed by a black man and a heavyset guard, who were silent but watching Loki suspiciously. “This is Rhodie and Happy.”

It took her a moment to follow the nicknames and references, but she nodded to cover her confusion and committed their names to memory. She looked to Phil, asking, “These are your friends?”

“Yes,” he said, as another group entered. Ylva knew two of them: Clint and Natasha Rogers. The broad-shouldered man leading them had to be their alpha; he smelled so strongly of alpha that she knew this had to be Steve Rogers. Phil confirmed it by offering his hand and saying, “Steve, good to see you again.”

“Phil.” He shook hands with the gamma, studying Ylva and Loki in turn. “Where’s Bruce, Tony?”

“Not until Thor gets here.” Tony said. There were undercurrents of meaning in the room that Ylva didn’t have the background to follow, but she felt the tension.

The Rogers alpha made her nervous and her lack of weapons and armor left her feeling especially vulnerable. She leaned harder into Loki, fighting the urge to actually hide _behind_ the prince. “Why are so many people here?” She asked her practice packmates. “I thought I was just going to see a doctor.”

“We’re here because of him,” Tony said, pointing at Loki. “The doctor is my omega, so I want adequate protection for him.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “As I recall, I was the one who needed aid in my last encounter with the green monster.”

Ylva frowned up at the jotun. “I thought you said he was a mortal?”

“Long story.” Tony attempted to move the conversation on to other subjects just as Thor and his entourage entered.

“Brother.” The God of Thunder’s greeting was cool.

“Thor.” Loki barely glanced at his brother before turning to the gamma accompanying him. “Hogun. It’s good to see you again. And Ms. Lewis, a pleasure.”

“Likewise,” Hogun replied, dipping his head.

“Hi,” Darcy said from Hogun’s side, waving warily. “I’m gonna be honest, I’m creeped out that you know my name.”

“Perhaps you’re more important than you know,” Loki purred. He remembered the beta well, and his interest hadn’t waned.

“I’m not Bella and I was never Team Edward, so . . . Yeah.” Darcy edged over to the other side of Hogun and pretended to ignore the insanely hot and kinda creepy jotun.

“I see you haven’t lost your touch for bothering people,” Thor said, his voice almost peevish.

“Can we get going on this?” Steve asked, nervous about leaving Vala with only Bucky and Sam as backup. Allocating his pack had been hard; he needed to meet Loki with appropriate force while keeping strength at home.

“Yep, right this way.” Tony walked them past the usual elevators to cargo elevators in the back. It was a close fit and ended up with the alphas in the center, glaring at each other, with their pack members behind them.

When the doors opened, he led the group to a spacious lab, where Bruce waited. His eyes widened at the parade of alphas and gammas that descended on his space and he frowned as his mind worked through exactly why so many people were accompanying the young omega he’d been asked to examine. “I will not subject this young woman to an examination with an _audience_ ,” he said firmly. “Agent Coulson, you may remain if she wishes, and either Rhodie or Happy can remain. The rest of you can wait . . . elsewhere, until we are finished.”

“I’m not letting her out of my sight,” Loki declared.

“It’s okay. Bruce isn’t going to hurt her,” Phil told him. The jotun glanced at Ylva, a silent question in his eyes.

She didn’t want either one of them to leave, but she also didn’t want to give up her chance of finding out if she was fertile or not. She stepped away from Loki, saying quietly, “I’ll be fine.”

The jotun dipped his head in acknowledgement.

“Rhodie, stay please,” Tony nodded to the military man, who agreed with his own nod. “Then everyone follow me, I have just the waiting room in mind for this.”

Everyone but Rhodie, Ylva, and Phil trooped out, and Bruce breathed a sigh of relief. “Now that we can breathe, I’m Dr. Banner but feel free to call me Bruce.” He offered his hand to Ylva.

She shook his hand hesitantly, only vaguely remembering the gesture from her childhood. “I am Ylva. You are an omega?” She was watching him intently, curious to see another of her gender.

Phil stepped into the awkward moment and explained quietly, “She’s never met another omega, Bruce.”

“Ah.” The scientist relaxed, his automatic assumptions at hearing that question melting away with the gamma’s explanation. He smiled at the young woman and motioned for her to follow him over to large device with an open center for a person to step into. “Yes, I’m an omega. Perhaps after we’re done with the scans, you and I can talk a little about that. It’s a bit different for me, since I’m male, but hopefully I can answer some questions for you. If you’ll step inside, this should only take a couple of minutes.”

The half-elf eyed the odd contraption dubiously, but at an encouraging smile from Phil, she stepped inside. Immediately, the arms of the machine began to rotate around her and green and blue lines of light played across her body. Other machines in the room hummed to life, screens outputting the biodata the machine was collecting, as well as a silent JARVIS providing preliminary interpretations. “How old are you, Ylva?” Bruce asked mildly.

It took a moment for her to count through the years, but she offered, “Somewhere between twenty four and twenty seven. I was eight when I was sold, and I remember twelve summer festivals in the mistlands, but I’m not certain how long I was in the Goblin Market. They do not mark time in any regular way, nor does the Market have seasons.”

“And you’ve never experienced a heat?” he asked in surprise.

She shrugged, “Loki thinks perhaps I did when I was first taken to the mistlands, that the man who attacked me in my room was trying to rape me. I don’t know if that was a heat or not. After that, I was given the _rogn vin_ and I have had no heats since.”

“And you don’t have this wrong vine with you?” Bruce asked, stumbling over the pronunciation of the foreign word.

“The _rogn vin_?” She shook her head, “No, the masters of the mistlands guard the elixir quite jealously. It is kept as a possible reward for exceptional slaves, to elevate them above their mortal origins. I do not know how it is made, other than that it involves berries of the rowan tree somehow, but that is clear just from the name. Why does Loki call you ‘a green monster’? You are not green and seem very normal for a human.”

Bruce tensed but his voice was even when he answered. “Because I can turn into a big green monster called the Hulk when I’m angry. He knows it bothers me, so he never fails to mention it.” Phil shifted but said nothing.

“Oh,” Ylva said, apparently the only one in the room not bothered by the topic of conversation. “It is good, though, that you are not so always. I am always a half-elf. I am neither Ljósálfur nor human any longer, but stuck somewhere between. It is part of why we do not know if I can bear children or not, even though I am an omega.” She was thoughtful for moment, then added, “Also, your Hulk form must be quite formidable, if you were able to best Loki. He should not call you a monster when you are not so, though. It is confusing, and rude.”

“Well, you just described Loki.” Bruce shifted uneasily. “I have another test to run but it’ll take time and you’ll have to lie really still. Are you up for that?”

She nodded and stepped out of the scanner. Bruce lead her to another area of the lab where a table with curving arms over it waited for her. She laid down on the cold surface, fighting shivers through her clothes, then composed herself to an almost unnatural stillness.

~  *  ~  *  ~

 _So very awkward. I wish you were here._ Tony looked up from his text to Pepper, then added a kissing emoticon.

 _I love how you hate being there makes you wish I were there._ Pepper’s irritation came through the reply clearly. _I’m dealing with lawyers, so I kind of do wish we could trade places._

_I’m not letting you within ten feet of the Nordic asshole._

_I thought you liked Thor_ , she replied. A second after that, another text came through. _I’m shutting off my phone. Actually talk to the people in the room with you. Be social. And POLITE._

Tony snorted. “So, anyone up for some Yahtzee?” he asked the room at large. His answer was mostly blank stares. “None? How about Truth or Dare?”

Darcy stepped forward. “I’m _in_ . I couldn’t be more in if you turned me inside out.” She pointed menacingly at Loki. “Which is _not_ an invitation to do so.”

“I have better ideas of what to do with your insides,” Loki promised. Darcy looked at the non-reaction from Thor and crossed her arms, blinking back tears.

“Oh, god, I need a drink,” Tony growled, heading for his bar. “Seriously, who’s in beside Manic Pixie Girl?”

“I am,” Natasha said.

Clint followed right after. “A chance to play this with you, Tony? I’m good.” They both looked expectantly at their alpha. “C’mon,” Clint whined. “It’s not like you have anything to hide.”

“Fine.” Steve sighed but he actually wondered if this could get him some intel from Loki.

“What is this game?” Thor asked.

“You are supposed to tell a truth or take a dare, one would suppose from the title,” Loki said drily.

“Actually, you’re asked a question that you have to answer if you don’t take the dare option.” Happy spoke for the first time. “And with all due respect, I’m sitting this one out. Truth or Dare has never gone well for me.”

“Vegas, 2010,” Tony remarked with a wicked grin.

“Among others,” the gamma allowed.

“Okay, so we’re down to Reindeer Games, Point Break, and Genghis Khan.” Tony looked at the three men. “Surely if us mortals can brave this game, so can you.”

“I shall play if Loki does,” Hogun said.

The two princes stared at him, startled. “Done,” Loki said, swallowing past a suddenly-dry throat.

Thor frowned for a moment before saying, “Very well.”

“Oh, this is going to be _amazing_ ,” Tony said. He sent an email to Pepper: _We’re going to play Truth or Dare. If I don’t return, you know what happened to me._

He got back a blocked notice from her account but by that point, Steve was the first on the truth chopping block, courtesy of Tony. “So to start easy: nastiest thing you’ve ever done in bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Linkies!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over forty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!


	32. Not Friends

“Influenza,” Steve said, ignoring Tony’s protests and turning to look at Loki. “Loki, how do you look at yourself in the mirror after what you’ve done?”

“With my eyes,” the jotun replied coolly. He’d thought that the game might start this way. “Darcy--”

“First you need to ask Truth or Dare, guys,” she interrupted.

“Very well,” Loki recovered. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” she said, grinning. “Nothing dangerous, buddy.”

He nodded. “Very well. Kissing me is safe -- physically.”

“Loki.” Thor’s voice rumbled with disapproval. “This is childish.”

“Childish?” Darcy glared at him. “If he’d said that to Sif, we’d be cleaning his brains off Mjolnir.”

“If he’d said that to Sif, she’d kill him herself,” Thor replied. “Loki, pick another.”

“Nope. That’s against the rules,” Darcy snapped, hurt clear in her voice. She crossed the room and grabbed Loki by the ears, pulling his head down sharply. Grinning, the jotun let her, expecting to kiss her senseless. To his surprise, the beta turned the tables, giving him a kiss of such passion and ferocity that he was left stunned.

Darcy spun to the glowering Thor, ignoring the uncomfortable look on the Rogers pack’s faces. “Truth or dare?” she asked.

He narrowed his eyes. “Let us not play games. You want to ask it, so ask.”

“Are you ever going to accept me into your pack? Really accept me, like you do Sif?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“Sif is my beta,” Thor told her.

“Yes or no,” Darcy pushed.

“No.” Thor’s single word answer brought tears and fury. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry. Awesome,” she said, ignoring the wet tracks down her face. “Your turn.”

“I have no wish to play,” Thor said softly.

Darcy nodded, as if she expected nothing less. “Okay. At least pick someone else to go.”

“Hogun,” Thor said listlessly, waving at the gamma.

“Guys, I think this has gone long enough,” Steve interjected softly.

“Yeah, because the silence after _that_ won’t be more awkward.” Tony shook his head.

Darcy wiped her eyes. “No, keep playing. At least I found what I needed to know.”

Hogun glanced around the room, his dark eyes settling on Loki. “Truth or dare.”

The jotun tensed. “Truth.”

“Why did you stop being my friend?” he asked. There was no hurt in his voice, only confusion.

Loki frowned. “I thought that was what you wanted. You joined Thor’s pack.”

“We could have remained friends.” The Vanir gazed at him steadily.

“No, not friends,” the younger prince insisted quietly. “Clint Rogers, truth or dare?”

The archer glared at Loki and snapped, “Like hell I’m ever going to do anything _you_ tell me to again. Truth.”

“If I were to ask your forgiveness, would you grant it?” Loki asked.

“I don’t believe you’re capable of feeling regret,” Clint growled. “Tony, truth or dare?”

“Dare.” Tony wasn’t open to letting people know too much about him. Besides, it was Clint; it wasn’t going to be anything too bad.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Ylva’s MRI had just finished. Bruce glanced at the door as it opened; when he saw Vala enter, followed by Sam and the Winter Soldier, he took off his glasses and asked, “Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I heard there was another omega in the building and I wanted to meet her,” Vala said.

“I’m pretty sure Steve wouldn’t want you here,” Bruce added, glancing toward the door through which the aforementioned alpha he left.

“He didn’t want me around Loki, and he’s not here.” Vala sighed. “I get so bored.”

Phil was at Ylva’s side, helping her up from the table. She watched the blond woman curiously, asking, “You are the Rogers omega? Natasha Rogers said you were not like what is expected of omegas either.”

“No, I’m not.” Vala smiled and joined her, ignoring the tension now coming from her gamma. She stared at Ylva’s green hair and pointed ears. “You weren’t in the HYDRA breeding program though, were you?”

Ylva shook her head. “No. I was altered by the Ljósálfur.” Her eyes flicked over to the two that had come in with the omega, her attention drawn to the silvery arm. “Is your arm made of metal?” she asked, her eyes considering. “It is very beautiful, and it seems it would be quite strong.”

“It was grafted to me by an enemy, who used me to attack all that I loved.” Bucky unclenched his fist, reminding himself that she was not a threat, and her words only hurt as much as he let them. “So I’m not really happy to have it.”

“Why? Your enemy obviously made you strong enough to escape or defeat them. Their mistake and your gain.” Her tone was honest confusion, a response the gamma wasn’t used to. She tilted her head and looked at Vala, “He is a part of your pack, yes? One of the gammas? He smells much like Clint Rogers and Natasha Rogers. Do you find his arm beautiful?”

“I find all of him beautiful,” Vala said honestly, going to his side to hug his arm. The grim look on his face disappeared when she smiled up at him coyly. “I’ve heard the story of how he got it, and I know that he broke through the control they had on him. He’s like me - strong of soul.”

Bucky blushed and glanced away from her adoring green eyes, only to meet Sam’s gaze. “She’s right,” the beta agreed. “I’ve thought so for a long time.”

Ylva watched them wistfully, their expressions giving her the first concrete sense of what a pack bond meant. To distract herself, she turned to Bruce. “When will you know whether I am fertile or not?”

“Your organs look intact and functional,” Bruce said, “so all that’s left is to be sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to. So I’m going to draw blood now and I want you back in two weeks to measure again. The good news is that if they aren’t working right, there’s still a chance we can do something to help them along - hormone treatments or something like that. If that’s what you want.”

She shrugged. “I am not sure. I had never really thought of having children until I returned to Earth and was told what an omega was. It has a great bearing on my options in life, though.” She regarded Vala curiously. “What of you? You are different, but also an omega with a pack. Do you wish to have children? Am I further strange not to know?”

Vala shrugged. “I’m willing to have kids for my pack. It’s not something I thought I’d be allowed to do, in my old pack, so I’m still unsure about it.”

“There’s no hurry,” Sam told her, his words having the cadence of an oft-repeated phrase.

“I know.” Vala leaned into him before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. They both had goofy smiles when she dropped back onto her heels.

The SHIELD agent had been watching the back and forth between the omegas and saw an opportunity for both Ylva and himself. “Perhaps the two of you might spend some time with Ylva,” he suggested hopefully. “Show her New York and help her acclimate to life back on Earth?”

“That’s a great idea,” Bruce said, smiling, “if we can get the alphas to not kill each other every time we get together.”

“Could we just sic their gammas on them for sex?” Ylva asked with a sly smile. “From what I’ve been told, it seems like it might _quite_ effective.”

Sam chuckled. “That might work most of the time, but our pack is on high alert.” Vala sighed sadly as the dark-skinned gamma added, “Distracting Steve with sex is actually not that easy right now.”

“‘High alert’?” Ylva asked curiously.

“I’m being targeted by my former pack, or at least we think I’ll be,” Vala answered. “Until that threat is eliminated, we’re all really tense.”

“He’s not likely to let you go anywhere outside of the Tower without guards, either,” Bucky said gruffly.

“We can hang out here.” Bruce smiled, enjoying the thought of spending more time with other omegas. “Ylva needs to come back for more tests then, so we can just plan to make a night of it or something.”

“Popcorn and movies and gossip!” Vala perked up as she mentioned each of the activities, and Bucky and Sam seemed to almost melt at her excitement.

“We’ll have to talk to Steve, but maybe we can work something out,” Sam allowed.

Ylva frowned; she liked the idea, but one thing was weighing on her mind. “Can I bring my swords next time?”

“Uh. No?” Bruce guessed, glancing at Rhodie. “Swords are probably not the best idea.”

“Tony’s not going to allow you to be armed in the building.” The gamma smiled gently. “You won’t be in danger, though.”

“I am like Vala,” Ylva motioned to the other omega, frustrated by the odd rules of Earth or at least the Tony Stark’s tower, “hunted by others. Of course I am in danger, and I may put others in danger by my presence. If I am properly armed, then I can ensure their safety as well as my own.”

“Ylva,” Phil said diplomatically, his tone warning her that he was about to say something she didn’t want to hear, “Tony’s and Steve’s packs just bonded. They’re all a little jumpy still, and you insisting on being armed is going to make them even more nervous. It’s not that they think you’ll do something, but new alphas are a bit possessive. Even if they resist the urge, it’ll still make them feel threatened, and this is Tony’s house. He gets to say what comes in and what doesn’t.”

She sighed. “As he wishes, then. I would not break his hospitality.” _Though it’s not as if I am not capable of being dangerous without a sword in hand._ She diplomatically did not voice her opinion, saying instead to Bruce and Vala, “So, in two weeks, then?”

Vala grinned and bounced on her toes a little. “Sounds good to me! I can’t wait.”

“I think it’ll be fun,” Bruce agreed, smiling. “Say, Ylva, would you like to see _French Kiss_? It’s an old movie, but a fun one.”

“Is that about the omega who goes to France to chase down her alpha after he dumped her?” Vala asked.

“Shh! Spoilers,” Bruce told her with mock severity.

“Sure,” Ylva said. Her mother had always watched action movies or horror mysteries; she’d never heard of _French Kiss_ , but it seemed to deal with alphas and omegas. Maybe she could learn from it.

Their plans made and tests done, the group went to find the others. It was harder than they thought; the alphas weren’t in the next room. “JARVIS, where is everyone?” Bruce asked.

The AI’s voice came from everywhere. “They’re in the Photography Suite, Bruce.”

“Weird. Are they taking a group picture?” he mumbled, but the AI answered him.

“I believe that Sir is having a photo shoot.”

Bruce threw up his hands. “I don’t understand. And why should I? He’s just my alpha. Come on, let’s find out what he’s up to now.”

The group followed him down to the fourteenth floor. Darcy was sitting cross legged in the hallway, studying something on her phone intently. When she heard them, she spoke without looking up. “Brace yourself. We played Truth or Dare. Tony dared.”

“Oh, dear god.” Bruce opened the door, readying himself for anything.

Tony was the center of attention, of course. He was wearing one of his Iron Man suits, but someone had put ladies’ lingerie on over the metal shell. While the other alphas and their packs watched, Stark Industries’ PR staff hovered around him, taking pictures while Tony struck various poses, from the absurd to the almost-sexy.

“What the hell?” Bruce asked, staring at the scene. “Tony?”

Loki hurried to Ylva’s side, murmuring, “Are you alright?”

She nodded, “As far as he can tell. I need to come back in two weeks for more tests and a movie night.” She was watching Tony the entire time and finally asked, “Is this some sort of pack pastime I’m not aware of?”

“Only in this pack,” he said, bemused.

“Pity,” Ylva grinned, her tone teasing.

Steve, Natasha, and Clint went to Vala, whispering to the rest of their pack. Steve’s visible irritation faded as they talked.

“Hi!” Tony waved and turned the gesture into a new pose. “You guys all done?”

“You can’t ask me that like you’re not standing around in a lacy bra and underwear while people take pictures,” Bruce managed to say.

Clint was rubbing his hands, looking diabolically jubilant. “I’ll have blackmail images for years to come,” he crowed.

“Whatever. I’ll just tell people I was drunk.” Tony posed like he was trying to win a muscle-building contest. “There are way more compromising pictures of me out there anyway.”

“Sir.” JARVIS’s voice cut through his good mood, interrupting through their private comm. “I’ve been monitoring Ms. Lewis’s wifi usage and I thought you might want to know what she’s looking at.”

Though he remained outwardly casual, Tony was worried. JARVIS didn’t often tell Tony what others were doing with his internet, but when he did, Tony needed to know. “Okay, what’s she using my wifi for?”

“She’s looking for an apartment and employment. I believe that Ms. Lewis intends on leaving her pack to strike out on her own.”

“Shit.” He moved into a Vogue pose, Madonna-style. “Please tell Pepper I have to talk to her. Tell her I did some real damage this time.”

Three minutes later, his beloved beta’s face appeared on a video window in his helmet. His heart fluttered at the sight of her, but she was far less pleased to see him, her expression resigned. “On a scale of 1 to your birthday party, how bad is this?”

“Me giving out the address to the house, but with fewer missiles.” He continued to pose, keeping the room entertained. He explained what had happened during and after the game, finishing with, “So it was probably going to happen, but I just ripped the bandage off the wound.”

“Tony. . .” From her tone, he knew he wasn’t getting any sex tonight, or a few nights. “I’m going to go fix this. You’re going to stay out of trouble.”

“Well, you say that, but Hawkeye now has some blackmail on me.” Tony grinned. “He might share if you ask nicely.”

She gave him a look that communicated that he wasn’t out of the doghouse yet and cut the feed. “Love you,” Tony said to the inside of his helmet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *snickersnorts*
> 
> Linkies!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over forty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
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	33. One A Day

Darcy was getting more and more depressed. The job market seemed tighter than she remembered, and apartments in New York were just ridiculous.  _ I could probably get a job at Walmart, _ she thought with a sigh as she read about yet another job that required three to five years experience in a field other than wormhole research or intergalactic relations.

The sound of heels approaching made Darcy glance up. “Hi, Pepper,” she greeted with a smile she didn’t feel. “Come to see the show?”

“Seen it, and can see it whenever I want, should I actually want to see my alpha in lady’s underwear.” Pepper leaned against the wall opposite Darcy. “Tony told me about his stupid idea for today. I came to talk to you.”

Darcy felt her cheeks burn as she tucked her phone under her arm. “Does he really do one stupid thing per day?” she asked, way more eager to talk about anything other than her problems.

“No, but I break up the big things so that it averages out to one a day.” She pushed off the wall. “He’s sorry, and wants to help fix what he broke.”

Darcy blinked back tears. “An apology from him would be better than betapologizing.” 

Ignoring the accusation that he’d sent his beta to do his social dirty work, Pepper offered her a hand. After a moment, Darcy sighed and let herself be pulled up. “Let’s go talk,” Pepper said gently.

“Sure. I’ve got nothing else to do.” Darcy winced at how sulky she sounded.  _ Fuck that! _ she told herself a moment later.  _ You got dumped hardcore for the second time in a week and a half. You deserve a solid pity party. _

Pepper took her up several flights of stairs to a small sitting room. After taking in the comfortable seating, the ereader, and the inlaid television, she realized this was the Stark Tower version of a private room. 

“Drink?” Pepper asked.

“Got anything hot and boozy?” Darcy replied. The other beta smiled at her and sent an order down to the kitchen for a hot toddy. “Wow, push a button, get booze. Awesome.”

“Being bound to Tony Stark has its benefits.” Pepper sat down, crossed those amazing legs, and said, “I guess things have gotten worse.”

Darcy snorted. “You could call it worse.” In halting, embarrassed words, she told Pepper the whole fiasco, from mandatory sexy-fun-times to fleeing Asgard. Pepper listened without comment or question, and Darcy was only interrupted when the drinks arrived. “Since then,” she said miserably, clutching the hot drink in her hands, “we’ve all been stuck in limbo. I knew the answer to the question I asked Thor, I just needed to  _ hear _ it.”

“You’re not the problem,” Pepper told her. “They’ve proven that the pack has deep, fundamental problems. Someone’s not ready to be bound and rather than admitting that, they are holding everyone back.”

“Honestly, I was one, so I guess someone else is in the same boat.” Darcy frowned. “It has to be one of the gammas, or I guess it could be Thor, but I know it’s not Jane.”

“That’s not important,” Pepper said firmly. “That’s their problem to work out.”

Darcy sighed and let some of the tension slip away. “Okay,” she whispered softly. “I mean, I know that.”

“No one can operate in a vacuum. You need someone to talk to,” Pepper said simply. 

“I feel a little like I’m talking to myself right now,” the brunette sighed. “With less cussing.”

Pepper laughed. “Well, all betas say roughly the same thing.”

“Most betas. I usually tell Thor to get his ass in gear.” Darcy felt a tear and hastily washed it away with a deep gulp of her drink. 

“Well, I tell Tony the same,” Pepper replied. They were quiet for a moment. “You can stay in the tower for as long as you need.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow. “Is that okay with Tony?”

“Yes.” Pepper’s tone suggested that she hadn’t asked and didn’t intend to, but that the alpha would have no complaints either way. “I like you, and you’re a fellow beta in a tough spot. You can stay here as long as you need. If you don’t like the idea of just staying here, we do have some projects you can work on.”

“My resume needs some help,” Darcy admitted. This was exactly what she needed, and all of her hesitation came from worries about being a burden. She deliberately didn’t consider how Thor or the pack would feel. Smiling, she admitted, “That sounds perfect, Pepper. Thank you.”

“And Tony will make his own apology when you’re settled,” Pepper added. “Do you need some help moving your things?”

“I’m just going to go home and get a few clothes and my toiletries,” she said after thinking for a moment. “I’ll get the rest later.” Or not. It all seemed like it was going to be an endless reminder of pointless years of her life.

“Okay.” Pepper rose with her and gave her a hug. “It’ll get better.”

“Are you sure?” Darcy asked, hating the empty, helpless feeling.

“Positive.” Pepper said the word with such conviction that Darcy wanted to believe her. Nodding, she went to rejoin Thor.

~  *  ~  *  ~

“I’m leaving,” she told the alpha the second they got home. 

Thor turned to her and nodded. “I understand.” Behind him, Hogun stiffened, while Jane merely looked sad. Oddly, Sif looked somber, not ecstatic, though there was a sense of relief coming from her, too.

“I don’t want your understanding, Thor, because you have handled this entire situation abysmally.” Darcy crossed her arms. “Get your head out of your ass and make Jane happy.”

Thor dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Do you require help with your items?”

“No. I’m taking a bag tonight, and I’ll send for the rest when I feel like it.” Darcy wasn’t above making them tend to her shit for a while. 

“I know you don’t care for my opinion--” Sif started.

“Or your face.” Darcy flashed her bitchiest smile.

The Aesir woman took a deep breath before continuing. “But I believe this is the right decision.” 

Darcy sighed. “I don’t give a shit, Sif. I really don’t. I’m not leaving for the good of the pack. I’m leaving because I’m not welcome here. Oh, you guys like me, but you don’t want me. And I’m going to be good with that. Good luck.”

Turning, she went to the storage area, pulled out her suitcases, and took them to her closet. She felt freer but also like she was flushing away six years of her life. 

“I can escort you to wherever you are staying.” Hogun had snuck up on her again, which was really annoying when you considered how much damned armor and weaponry he carried. 

“It’s fine, I’m an independent beta,” Darcy told him with a breeziness she didn’t feel.

“I will feel better--”

“Hogun,  _ please _ .” Darcy hated the tremor in her voice on the last word, but it shut him up. “You’re just making this harder. Just. . . let it go. And  _ don’t _ sing that fucking song!”

She didn’t look at him, not even when he bowed and silently withdrew. She went back to packing, left blissfully alone by her former pack.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Hogun had served Thor for so long that it had become habitual. He had never really questioned his alpha, or doubted that he steered the pack in the right direction. He’d never really wanted anything that Thor hadn’t given him, not until recently. Now, he had the feeling that they were walking down very different paths.

He found him in the bedroom. “Prince Thor, a word, please.” 

“Hogun, of course.” Thor nodded to Sif, who was showing the ecstatic smile she’d kept hidden when Darcy had announced her leaving. When the raven-haired woman had left, Thor turned to him. “Something troubles you.”

“Yes.” Hogun knelt, a position that was as habitual as their relationship.

“Come, friend, stand.” Thor gestured for him to rise. “Speak your mind.”

“I am why the second bonding attempt failed.” Hogun squared his shoulders and held up a hand when Thor started to protest. “I loved another alpha when I joined you, because I believed that he did not feel the same. I knew in time that I would come to love you, as well, and I do. But I have come to love Darcy Lewis and I want her for a beta. I know that the other alpha does not love me, but that doesn’t matter. I lost my chance with him once, and I learned not to wait for others to be what I want. And what I want is to pack with Darcy.”

“Hogun. . .” Thor stared at him, brow furrowed. “I never suspected-- I never thought that you felt this way. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“My desire for Darcy was slow-growing. I only realized it when we made the second attempt to bond, and I wanted her among us again.” Hogun swallowed, hating that he was hurting his alpha but knowing that this was the right thing to do. “I was the only one in the pack who felt that way, and I knew, before your father spoke, that we wouldn’t bond. I’m sorry for failing to realize that sooner.”

Thor clasped his arms tightly. “We are all shaken by the failure to bond. Hogun, please don’t tear our pack apart. We can fix whatever is wrong, and try again.”

“Thor, I know my own heart.” Hogun gently pulled his arms free. “I am only sorry I didn’t know it sooner.” He left his former alpha hurt and confused.

~  *  ~  *  ~

Darcy hated luggage, and she hated taxis. Both were banes to her existence right now. “Fuck you!” she shouted as yet another cabbie drove on, ignoring her on the curb. The three suitcases may have been the cause of their negligence, or perhaps it was her scowl. 

“Darcy!” Hogun’s voice behind her made her grit her teeth. She really didn’t want to be a bitch to one of the few people in Thor’s pack she wanted to see, but he was killing her. 

Turning, she said, “You’re not my gamma anymore, so stop trying to be! This is hard enough, Hogun!”

“I would be your gamma if you would have me,” he told her somberly. He dropped to one knee, the traditional position of a gamma making a request to another gender. “Be my beta, Darcy Lewis.”

A few passerbies stared, most slowing to see the show. What a show it was: Hogun was in full armor and she was a pretty beta standing next to three suitcases. A couple people whipped out phones, ready to film a potentially interesting pack forming. 

“I can’t be your beta,” she protested. “Your alpha just told me he doesn’t want me.”

“I have no alpha. Regardless of your answer, my heart is drawn to another, not Thor.” Hogun’s words drew a gasp from one woman, who had a romantic smile and tears in her eyes. 

Darcy rolled hers. “Do you mind?” she snapped at the watching woman. “This isn’t a soap opera! Move on!” She waved her hands at the onlookers. “Go on, get!”

Hogun didn’t move or look away while he awaited her answer. Darcy pulled on his arm to get him up, but he didn’t move. He probably wouldn’t until she gave a reply but she didn’t negotiate with emotional terrorists or stubborn gammas. “Are you telling me you left Thor?” she asked. When he nodded, she said, “You can’t! You’ve been his gamma for longer than most countries have existed!”

“And for that time, I have been waiting to love him, as I should love my alpha.” Hogun smiled sadly. “I do not, and I will not lie knowingly, to him or myself.”

She swallowed hard. “So why follow me? I’m not this love of your life.”

“Because I do love you.” He took her hand and she let him, her fingers wrapping around his warm ones. “I have never spoken of this, but I was bound before I came to Asgard. They were killed, and long have I mourned them.” He paused, his eyes sad and she kissed his hand, unable to stop from offering comfort. “My former beta was like you, kind and caring. He always thought of his pack before himself. You are not exactly like him, but I have missed that kind of care. Sif is a fine beta, but  _ you  _ are the beta I want.”

“We may not want the same alpha,” she said, afraid of more rejection later.

“I would not cleave to you if I did not think that we will love the same alpha.” His thumb traced hers. “I knew I loved you when you insisted that Volstagg be excluded from our attempts to draw closer. I knew I needed you when we tried to bond without you. I want you, and the right alpha for me will want you, too.”

An ugly pocket of pain finally eased in her heart, and Darcy felt the tears start to fall again. This time, they marked acceptance instead of rejection. “Look at you being a smooth player! There isn’t a beta on Earth who could say no to that.” 

He rose, both hands clasping hers. “Then I have spoken wisely.”

“So, uh,” Darcy bit her lips. “I think I’m ready for the pleasure of your mouth now.”

“Truly?” he asked, an eager glint in his eye.

“Really, you sexy beast! Rawr!” She laughed until he dropped his head and gave her a toe-curling kiss. The crowd on the sidewalk clapped and cheered for them. She didn’t notice; he was a thorough and skilled kisser, imbued with a god-like ability to please.

“Holy shit,” Darcy said, breathless and dizzy when he finally released her. 

“I will show you more,” he whispered in her ear, “when we find lodging for the night.”

“Yes, you will!” She pulled out her phone and quickly dialed. “Hi, Pepper! Yes, I’m ready to come over, but is it alright if my new-old gamma stays too?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Linkies!  
> For some sci-fi fun brought to you by both Malachite and Deprough, check out serial web novel, [Thirteen](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/about/)! We're over forty chapters in, it updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and is free to read!
> 
> For more romance, check out Deprough's Accords short stories on Amazon: There's [Deep Blue](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017IZS18W?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2) and [The Yule Miracle](http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017OM7RZW?keywords=Dawn%20Prough&qid=1450101082&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1) so far!
> 
> For some vampire sci-fi fun check out Deprough's [City of Promise](http://smile.amazon.com/City-Promise-Dawn-Prough-ebook/dp/B008X7JEAE/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1450101256&sr=1-3), also on Amazon!
> 
> If you like what you see on Amazon, on [Fifth Column Publishing](http://fifthcolumnpublishing.com/), and here on Archive of Our Own, please consider contributing to our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/user?u=568042&ty=h) so we can continue to write for you! Thanks!

**Author's Note:**

> For an overview of the Gammaverse: [**Gammaverse Primer**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4594635)


End file.
